sneer
Americanverb (used without object)
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sneers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
sneered,
past participle, past
-
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
-
(intr) to assume a facial expression of scorn or contempt
-
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:
Outside and looking up at it, the pony seems to sneer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
"This woman is very intelligent, she's not here by chance. And if she does also run for a fourth time, she won't be an opponent we can sneer at," hard-left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon has said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 7, 2026
The mouth renders the verdict: a barely perceptible sneer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 24, 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
Reynie returned the sneer with his best fake smile.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
With barely a greeting to the rest of the musicians, he starts to sing, challenging their earsplitting guitars with his lacerating sneers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
Lily sneers that Facebook is “a database of old people.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 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
“I ain’t an angel, you ain’t heaven-sent,” he sneers in “I Had Some Help,” a collaboration with a newly countryfied Post Malone.
From Salon ● May 16, 2025
But if he holds himself a little more stiffly as he sneers, that seems to be the only difference in his manner.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
“This is exactly what you’re like,” every other generation sneered back.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026
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
Rowling sneered at Oates’ concern, while Musk referred to the author as “a bit of an extinctionist.”
From Slate ● Nov. 13, 2025
Many sneered at the comments from the Brighton owner, but with each passing week that bold assessment is looking more realistic with Rangers in turmoil and Celtic yet to hit top gear.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2025
Mars Bar jammed his arms downward, stuck out his chin, sneered.
From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli
He’s sneering, which is bad enough, but now, oh boy, he does the Thing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
He turned into a sneering moral philosopher, all the while keeping his feet up.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026
Liam's sneering vocals and Noel's distorted guitars brought a rock and roll swagger back to the charts, revitalising British guitar music after an influx of self-serious Seattle grunge.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2025
But Gadot gets the best number in a tepid batch, a villain’s anthem that welds together a half-dozen sneering, cooing, minor-key tempo shifts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 19, 2025
On the sweltering afternoon of June 29, at Boston’s Suffolk Downs, the horse found him. he colt was practically sneering at him.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
