He gave her a big smile.

Meaning: This means that he showed her a wide and cheerful expression with his mouth.

Choice of Words: Gave is the past tense of give, meaning to transfer something to someone. Her is a pronoun referring to a female person. Big describes the size of the smile. Smile refers to the expression on someone's face when they are happy.

Alternative Expressions

The man handed the woman a cheerful grin.

Meaning: This also means he showed her that he was happy or amused, but it uses different words to describe the same action. It's like saying, The man smiled happily at the woman to show his cheerfulness.

Choice of Words: The is a definite article that refers to a specific noun. Man refers to an adult male human being. Handed means to give something to someone by placing it in their hand. The is used again before woman to indicate a specific female. Cheerful describes the nature of the grin, indicating it conveys happiness or joy. Grin refers to a wide smile that typically shows teeth. When you put them together, "The man handed the woman a cheerful grin" means that the man gave the woman a wide and happy smile.

He flashed her a radiant smile.

Meaning: This sentence is similar to the previous ones, but it emphasizes the suddenness and brightness of the smile. It's like saying, He suddenly smiled at her with a very happy and bright expression.

Choice of Words: He refers to a male person. Flashed means to move or appear quickly. Her is a pronoun referring to a female. A is an indefinite article that indicates one. Radiant describes the quality of the smile, indicating it is bright and glowing. Smile refers to the facial expression that shows happiness or amusement. When you put them together, "He flashed her a radiant smile" means that he quickly showed her a bright and happy smile.

Related Expressions