snappy

American  

[snap-ee] / ˈsnæp i /

adjective

snappier, snappiest

1. apt to snap or bite; snappish, as a dog.

2. impatient or irritable, as a person or a reply.

3. snapping or crackling in sound, as a fire.

4. quick or sudden in action or performance.

5. Informal. crisp, smart, lively, brisk, etc..

   Only snappy people get ahead in this world.

---

idioms

1. make it snappy, to speed up; hurry.

snappy British  

/ ˈsnæpɪ /

adjective

1. Also: snappish.  apt to speak sharply or irritably

2. Also: snappish.  apt to snap or bite

3. crackling in sound

   a snappy fire

4. brisk, sharp, or chilly

   a snappy pace

   snappy weather

5. smart and fashionable

   a snappy dresser

6. slang be quick! hurry up!

---

snappy More Idioms  

1. see under make haste.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• snappiness
  noun
• snappily
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of snappy

First recorded in 1740–50; snap + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Craig Robinson joins the cast as Atlas, a cheerful talking GPS hippo toy, and Ernie Hudson arrives as Combat Carl, alongside Shelby Rabara as Snappy, an excitable toy camera.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

Snappy grape tomatoes — the green bell peppers of the tomato world — get a second chance once treated like kimchi.

From New York Times • Jul. 2, 2020

Snappy tweeter Chelsea Clinton — former first daughter and heir apparent to the Clinton legacy — covers a lot of ground on her social media timeline.

From Washington Post • Oct. 17, 2017

It’s gory and putrid and, as a metaphor for suburban monotony, couldn’t be any more heavyhanded if Banksy had spraypainted it on the side of a Snappy Snaps.

From The Guardian • Feb. 7, 2017

Then I got a job at the Snappy Mart across the road.

From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King