sneer
Americanverb (used without object)
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sneers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sneered,
past participle, past
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sneering
present participle
-
to smile, laugh, or contort the face in a manner that shows scorn or contempt.
They sneered at his pretensions.
-
to speak or write in a manner expressive of derision or scorn.
- Synonyms:
- gibe
verb (used with object)
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sneers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sneered,
past participle, past
-
sneering
present participle
noun
-
a facial expression of scorn or contempt, typically with the upper lip curled
-
a scornful or contemptuous remark or utterance
verb
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(intr) to assume a facial expression of scorn or contempt
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to say or utter (something) in a scornful or contemptuous manner
Synonym Usage
See scoff 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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sneerernoun
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subsneernoun
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sneerfuladjective
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sneeringadjective
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sneerlessadjective
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unsneeringadjective
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sneeringlyadverb
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unsneeringlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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sneersimple
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sneerssimple
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have sneeredperfect
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has sneeredperfect
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am sneeringprogressive
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are sneeringprogressive
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is sneeringprogressive
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have been sneeringperfect progressive
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has been sneeringperfect progressive
Past
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sneeredsimple
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had sneeredperfect
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was sneeringprogressive
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were sneeringprogressive
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had been sneeringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sneer
First recorded in 1545–55; originally, “to snort”; compare Frisian (northern dialect) sneere “scornful remark,” snarl 1
Explanation
If your smile is contorted with contempt or your upper lip curled with distaste and disdain, you're probably sneering. And you should stop, because it isn't nice. Many things can elicit a sneer: a terrible red carpet outfit, a disgusting plate of food, a stupid joke told for the third time. But sneers aren't just meant to show disgust. They're mean-spirited, mocking and often downright snooty. So now that you know the definition of sneer inside and out, resist the temptation to sneer at those who don't!
Vocabulary lists containing sneer
The Lingo of Body Language
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Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I A Woman?" (1863)
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List 11
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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.
See Examples For:
The Soviets wrote the Nobels out of Russian history, bar the occasional sneer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
Outside and looking up at it, the pony seems to sneer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Many of us were raised to sneer at social influence—instructed to resist peer pressure at all costs—but there’s another term for thinking about all this that’s less off-putting: role modeling.
From Slate ● May 15, 2026
"I think most of our characters were quite warm and quite engaging and we didn't sneer at them or mock them," says Paul.
From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2026
What they had in common was the same kind of sneer on each of their faces, the kind that said, Nobody matters but me.
From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
In Shakespeare’s “Henry VI, Part 1,” the brave nobleman Talbot sneers at any knight who is “quite degraded, like a hedge-born swain.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
“I’m Actually Kinda Famous” sneers and taunts a portrayal of fame over synths, and “Cannibalism!” is wrapped in youthful desire and garage rock fuzz.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2026
As she crawls, screams, scratches and sneers, Lawrence maintains a soulful balance between Grace’s creeping delirium and her ceaseless dedication to her newborn son.
From Salon ● Nov. 7, 2025
The Senate, which generally sneers at the amateurism of House legislation, would have its turn; if the Senate were successful, the two chambers would then have to bridge what could be substantial differences.
From Slate ● May 20, 2025
“If we don’t fall or die first,” Dylan sneers.
From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
When I said I had moved up from Fort Lauderdale, my host sneered: “Florida is a swamp.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Miller’s wife Katie, a podcaster, sneered on social media that journalists like Alfonsi, who “want to become the story,” lose their integrity when they push back.
From Salon ● Dec. 22, 2025
Rowling sneered at Oates’ concern, while Musk referred to the author as “a bit of an extinctionist.”
From Slate ● Nov. 13, 2025
A couple of generations ago, Antiguan dialect was sneered at and children were commonly forbidden to speak it in school.
From BBC ● Feb. 15, 2025
C.P. just sneered at the idea, saying, “Wilbur, I don’t particularly like you and I don’t even want to discuss it with you.”
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
He turned into a sneering moral philosopher, all the while keeping his feet up.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026
When he was called out for it, Musk sent another tweet sneering, "Toxoplasma gondii is a danger to our democracy," a reference to the debunked myth that cat owners have a mentally destabilizing parasite.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2024
Writing afterwards on X, she said: "The sneering contempt of 'journalists' will never stop me from calling out racism and Islamophobic hate."
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2024
Somewhere above, the Black Mamba is sneering down on us.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 16, 2024
He was sneering, but he couldn’t take his eyes off my jacket.
From "Crash" by Jerry Spinelli
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.
