snide
Americanadjective
adjective
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Also: snidey. (of a remark, etc) maliciously derogatory; supercilious
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counterfeit; sham
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of snide
First recorded in 1860–65; origin uncertain
Explanation
Snide means insulting or contemptuous in an indirect way. If your friend is wearing too much purple eye shadow and your other friend whispers to you, “What? Was she in a car wreck?” that’s a snide comment. Snide remarks are the kinds of things people say with a sneer on their face. When you leave a movie theater and your friend says, “I can’t believe someone was actually paid to write that screenplay,” he’s being snide. Instead of saying, “That movie was terrible,” he's expressing his disdain in a more underhanded and indirect way.
Vocabulary lists containing snide
10 Words that Inspired Taylor Swift
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The Stranger
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Even setting aside Max’s typically snide reaction to Becky’s attire—“You look like . . . a birthday cake”—this pair seems spectacularly mismatched.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
But even his coverage, though near-manic at times and full of snide remarks regarding Ventura’s testimony, also concerns itself with how well the legal teams are doing—it is no Depp/Heard situation.
From Slate • Jun. 10, 2025
Those close to her said that Kaemmerer, who retired in 2003, was able to deal with the scrutiny and snide remarks because she was an optimist who saw the best in people.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2025
Nobody in “Clean Slate” is snide, and the one or two who don’t act right aren’t rewarded with punchlines.
From Salon • Feb. 6, 2025
Then Grandma would make a snide comment about Dad being shiftless.
From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
