What Does “Smile upon sth” Mean?
“Smile upon sth” means to show approval, favor, or blessing towards something. It often suggests good fortune or positive support from someone or something.
Introduction
The phrase “Smile upon sth” is a phrasal verb used to describe when someone or something shows approval or brings good luck to an event, idea, or person. The “smile” here is not literal but figurative, meaning favor or blessing. Understanding the Smile upon sth meaning helps learners express positive support or hope for success in various situations. This phrase is commonly used in both formal and informal English, especially when talking about luck, approval, or encouragement.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: Smile upon something
- Type: Transitive
- Level: B2 (Upper-Intermediate)
- Short meaning: To approve or bless something; to bring good luck
Structure (Grammar Rules)
“Smile upon sth” is an inseparable phrasal verb, meaning you cannot place the object between “smile” and “upon.”
Correct pattern: smile upon + object
Example: The gods smiled upon their journey.
How to Use Smile upon sth?
Use “smile upon sth” when you want to express that something is receiving approval or good fortune. It is often used in a hopeful or positive context. This phrase usually appears in formal writing, storytelling, or when talking about fate and blessings.
It can refer to people, events, plans, or ideas that are favored or supported, especially by fate, higher powers, or influential individuals.
Examples
When the community’s new project received government funding, it felt like the authorities smiled upon their efforts.
- The weather smiled upon us during our outdoor wedding.
- May fortune smile upon your new business venture.
- The teacher smiled upon the student’s hard work by giving her extra credit.
- The stars smiled upon the team, leading them to victory.
- We hope that fate will smile upon their plans for the future.
These examples show how “smile upon sth in a sentence” conveys approval or good luck.
Common Mistakes
Many learners confuse “smile upon sth” with literal smiling or use incorrect word order.
- Incorrect: The gods smiled their journey upon.
- Correct: The gods smiled upon their journey.
- Incorrect: She smiled upon happily the idea.
- Correct: She smiled upon the idea happily.
Remember, “upon” always follows “smile” directly, and the object comes after “upon.”
Differences / Synonyms
“Smile upon sth” is similar to “look favorably on” or “bless.” However, “smile upon” often implies a more poetic or formal tone, sometimes with a spiritual or fate-related sense.
- Look favorably on: More common in everyday speech, meaning to approve.
- Bless: Carries a religious or spiritual meaning of granting favor.
- Approve of: General approval, less poetic than “smile upon.”
Use “smile upon” when you want to add a hopeful or positive nuance beyond simple approval.
Common Collocations
You will often see “smile upon” used with these objects, conveying approval or luck:
- Plans: Meaning the plans are likely to succeed.
- Efforts: Showing that hard work is recognized.
- Journey: Indicating a safe or successful trip.
- Business: Suggesting prosperity or success.
- Event: Meaning the event will go well.
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of smile upon sth:
Real-life Dialogue
Here is a simple conversation using “smile upon sth”:
Anna: I hope the weather will smile upon our picnic tomorrow.
Ben: Me too! It would be great if everything goes well.
Anna: If nature smiles upon us, we’ll have a perfect day.
Practice
Try to complete the sentence with the correct form of “smile upon”:
- The judges always _______ hard work in their decisions.
- We hope fate will _______ our new project.
- The community’s efforts were _______ by the local government.
Answers: smile upon, smile upon, smiled upon
FAQ
- What does “smile upon sth” mean? It means to show approval or bring good luck to something.
- Is “smile upon sth” formal or informal? It is mostly formal or poetic.
- Can I say “smile on sth” instead? No, the correct phrase is “smile upon sth.”
- Can I separate the phrasal verb? No, “smile upon” is inseparable.
- What are synonyms for “smile upon sth”? Approve of, bless, or look favorably on.
