A smile — often considered the universal language of kindness — has the power to brighten days and bridge gaps.
It’s a simple gesture that can have profound effects on both the giver and the receiver.
Smiling is not just an expression of happiness; it’s also a catalyst for it, capable of transforming our mood and perspective — and often, that of those around us.
Throughout history, poets, philosophers, comedians, and numerous influential figures have mused about the significance and impact of a smile.
In this collection, we’ve curated quotes that celebrate the power of a smile.
Whether you’re looking for a reminder of the good a smile can do, seeking inspiration to spread a little happiness, or simply in need of a reason to smile, these quotes are sure to uplift and inspire.
Let these words remind you of the magic that can be found in a smile, and encourage you to share yours with the world:
The Best Smile Quotes
Famous Smile Quotes
“Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.”
— John Lennon
“I always just thought if you see somebody without a smile, give ’em yours!”
— Dolly Parton
“Life is a mirror: If you frown at it, it frowns back; if you smile, it returns the greeting.”
— William Makepeace Thackeray
“Life is like a mirror. Smile at it and it smiles back at you.”
— Peace Pilgrim
“A simple smile. That’s the start of opening your heart and being compassionate to others.”
— The Dalai Lama
“Keep smiling, because life is a beautiful thing and there’s so much to smile about.”
— Marilyn Monroe
“I love those who can smile in trouble.”
— Leonardo da Vinci
“Just smiling at someone walking down the street can make the person’s day. It’s all about paying it forward.”
— Mariska Hargitay
“Remember to smile.”
— Nelson Mandela
“Peace begins with a smile.”
— Mother Teresa
“Everyone smiles in the same language.”
— George Carlin
“If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love.”
— Maya Angelou
“A smile is the universal welcome.”
— Max Eastman
“A smile cures the wounding of a frown.”
— William Shakespeare
“Smile in the mirror. Do that every morning and you’ll start to see a big difference in your life.”
— Yoko Ono
“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”
— Dr. Seuss
Love Quotes
“Whenever I see your smiling face, I have to smile myself, because I love you.”
— James Taylor, Your Smiling Face
“My mom smiled at me. Her smile kind of hugged me.”
— R.J. Palacio, Wonder
“But, my God, it’s so beautiful when the boy smiles”
— Anna Nalick, Breathe (2 AM)
“It was only a sunny smile, and little it cost in the giving, but like morning light it scattered the night and made the day worth living.”
— F. Scott Fitzgerald
“And then he gives me a smile that just seems so genuinely sweet with just the right touch of shyness that unexpected warmth rushes through me.”
— Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games
“Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness in people.”
— Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
Beautiful Smile Quotes
“Smiling is definitely one of the best beauty remedies. If you have a good sense of humor and a good approach to life, that’s beautiful.”
— Rashida Jones
“Nothing you wear is more important than your smile.”
— Connie Stevens
“It seems to me that what we call beauty in a face lies in the smile.”
— Leo Tolstoy
“Nothing is more beautiful than a smile that has struggled through tears.”
— Demi Lovato
“I wondered if my smile was as big as hers. Maybe as big. But not as beautiful.”
— Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
“You smiled then, and your whole face changed with it. It kind of lit up, like there were sunbeams coming from inside you.”
— Lucy Christopher
“The smile that is worth the praises of earth is the smile that shines through tears.”
— Ella Wheeler Wilcox
“Smile is the beauty of the soul.”
— Lailah Gifty Akita
Happiness Quotes
“Ah, what happiness it is to be with people who are all happy, to press hands, press cheeks, smile into eyes.”
— Katherine Mansfield
“Happiness is a journey, not a destination.”
— Buddha
“Smile, what’s the use of crying? You’ll find that life is still worthwhile, if you just smile.”
— Nat King Cole, Smile
“Lighten up, just enjoy life, smile more, laugh more, and don’t get so worked up about things.”
— Kenneth Branagh
“No matter where life takes me, you’ll find me with a smile. Presumed to be happy, always laughing like a child. I never thought life could be this sweet! It’s got me cheesing from cheek to cheek!”
— Mac Miller, Best Day Ever
“Someday, everything will make perfect sense. So for now, laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears, be strong and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason.”
— John Mayer
“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”
— Thich Nhat Hanh
Funny Smile Quotes
“Smile well and often, it makes people wonder what you’ve been up to.”
— Satchel Paige
“You can only hold a smile for so long, after that it’s just teeth.”
— Chuck Palahniuk, Invisible Monsters
“A smile is a facelift that’s in everyone’s price range!”
— Tom Wilson
“People who keep stiff upper lips find that it’s damn hard to smile.”
— Judith Guest, Ordinary People
“Hide your craziness behind a beautiful smile. That’s all you need.”
— Paulo Coelho
“Smile. Have you ever noticed how easily puppies make human friends? Yet all they do is wag their tails and fall over.”
— Walter Inglis Anderson
“Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward.”
— Kurt Vonnegut
“Smiling is confusing, she thought. This is why I don’t do it.”
— Rainbow Rowell, Fangirl
“A smile is the best way to get away with trouble even if it’s a fake one.”
— Masashi Kishimoto, Naruto, Vol. 1: Uzumaki Naruto
“If you haven’t seen your wife smile at a traffic cop, you haven’t seen her smile her prettiest.”
— Kin Hubbard
“Keep smiling — it takes 10 years off!”
— Jane Birkin
Short Smile Quotes
“You’ll find that life is still worthwhile, if you just smile.”
— Charlie Chaplin
“When you smile at a stranger, there is already a minute outflow of energy. You become a giver.”
— Eckhart Tolle
“You can’t deny laughter; when it comes, it plops down in your favorite chair and stays as long as it wants.”
— Stephen King
“Wrinkles will only go where the smiles have been.”
— Jimmy Buffett
“People seldom notice old clothes if you wear a big smile.”
— Milton A. Lee
“Never regret anything that made you smile.”
— Mark Twain
“Keep walking and keep smiling.”
— Tiny Tim
“The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.”
— E. E. Cummings
“The shortest distance between two people is a smile.”
— Victor Borge
“The living should smile, for the dead cannot.”
— George R.R. Martin
“A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.”
— Phyllis Diller
“Anyone who has a continuous smile on his face conceals a toughness that is almost frightening.”
— Greta Garbo
“You shouldn’t never regret something that made you smile.”
— Bei Maejor
“The robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief.”
— William Shakespeare
→ Read more short quotes
More Smile Quotes
“Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile. A world of optimism and hope. A ‘you can do it’ when things are tough.”
— Richard M. Devos
“I think everything in life is art. What you do. How you dress. The way you love someone, and how you talk. Your smile and your personality. What you believe in, and all your dreams. The way you drink your tea. How you decorate your home. Or party. Your grocery list. The food you make. How your writing looks. And the way you feel. Life is art.”
— Helena Bonham Carter
“What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but scattered along life’s pathway, the good they do is inconceivable.”
— Joseph Addison
“The struggles we endure today will be the ‘good old days’ we laugh about tomorrow.”
— Aaron Lauritsen, 100 Days Drive: The Great North American Road Trip
“To be a smile on the face of a woman
And shine in her memory
As a moment saved without planning.”
— Dejan Stojanovic
“Let my soul smile through my heart and my heart smile through my eyes, that I may scatter rich smiles in sad hearts.”
— Paramahansa Yogananda
“Live life to the fullest. You have to color outside the lines once in a while if you want to make your life a masterpiece. Laugh some every day. Keep growing, keep dreaming, keep following your heart. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”
— Albert Einstein
“A warm smile is the universal language of kindness.”
— William Arthur Ward
“What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. These are but trifles, to be sure; but scattered along life’s pathway, the good they do is inconceivable.”
— Joseph Addison
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”
— Leo F. Buscaglia
“I’ve had to learn to fight all my life — got to learn to keep smiling. If you smile, things will work out.”
— Serena Williams
“A kind heart is a fountain of gladness, making everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles.”
— Washington Irving
“But you’re so busy changing the world
Just one smile can change all of mine”
— Jack Johnson
“Anyone can smile on their best day. I like to meet a man who can smile on his worst.”
— Lauren Graham, Someday, Someday, Maybe
“I smiled back and I thought how incredible that was, that they would find the time to smile. There was goodness in the world still, even if you couldn’t always see it.”
— Jenny Valentine, Broken Soup
“I like it when my mother smiles. And I especially like it when I make her smile.”
— Adriana Trigiani, Viola in Reel Life
“Be nice to everyone, always smile and appreciate things, because it could all be gone tomorrow.”
— Ed Sheeran
