To simper means to smile in a silly, self-conscious way that seems fake or overly sweet. When someone simpers, they're not smiling naturally. Instead, they're putting on an artificial smile that often looks weak or embarrassed, like they're trying too hard to be charming or pleasing.

Picture a character in an old movie batting their eyelashes and smiling in an exaggerated, sugary way to get what they want. That's simpering. You might also simper if you're caught doing something embarrassing and try to smile your way out of it awkwardly.

The word carries a negative feeling. A genuine smile shows real happiness or friendliness, but a simper feels calculated or phony. If a book describes someone as simpering, the author wants you to see that character as insincere or trying too hard to impress others.

You might hear people say that a character simpered when they should have stood up for themselves, suggesting they smiled weakly instead of showing real strength or confidence.