not to be sneezed at

Idioms

Also, nothing to sneeze at. Not to be ignored or dismissed, as in It's a great honor, not to be sneezed at, or That salary of his is nothing to sneeze at. This expression presumably alludes to turning up one's nose in disdain. [c. 1800]

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.

Unlike the wretched ragweed, they are not to be sneezed at.

From Washington Post • Sep. 5, 2017

If nothing else, it minimizes the social interaction of a concert, which is not to be sneezed at in the dotage of civil society and the age of “Bowling Alone.”

From Washington Post • Dec. 8, 2015

And the logistics are not to be sneezed at.

From BBC • Oct. 2, 2014

All told, it should prove that citizen science is an approach that is not to be sneezed at.

From Economist • Nov. 16, 2011

The importance of maintaining a healthy scalp is not to be sneezed at, and lice are no picnic either.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023