sneer

[ sneer ]

/ snɪər /

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verb (used without object)

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.

verb (used with object)

to utter or say in a sneering manner.

noun

a look or expression of derision, scorn, or contempt.

a derisive or scornful utterance, especially one more or less covert or insinuative.

an act of sneering.

Nearby words

Origin of sneer

1545–55; orig., to snort; compare Frisian (N dial.) sneere scornful remark, snarl¹

SYNONYMS FOR sneer

2. gibe. See scoff¹. 5. scoff, gibe, jeer.

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Related forms

sneer·er, nounsneer·ful, adjectivesneer·ing·ly, adverbsneer·less, adjective

sub·sneer, nounun·sneer·ing, adjectiveun·sneer·ing·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for sneered

Gawker sneered that Uber is "Ayn Rand's favorite car service."
In Defense of Uber’s Awful Sydney Surge Pricing|Olivia Nuzzi|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Onscreen, he shoved his jaw out, jutted his hips, and sneered at the camera.
‘Tracing the Blue Light’: Read Chapter 1 of Eileen Cronin’s ‘Mermaid’|Eileen Cronin|April 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Mr. Weiner is not a normal human being,” sneered the Journal in its editorial demanding he drop out.
Don’t Leave the Mayor’s Race Yet, Anthony Weiner|Peter Beinart|July 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
So how many people, including those who sneered at Aguilera, can even recite the lyrics?
How Many Americans Know the Star Spangled Banner?|Clark Merrefield|February 10, 2011|DAILY BEAST

The two men have sneered at Hirsi Ali in print, dismissing her as an “Enlightenment fundamentalist.”
The Last Liberal?|Tunku Varadarajan|May 26, 2010|DAILY BEAST
He sneered this word every time he used it in his talk with Wade.
King Spruce, A Novel|Holman Day
In the Forest he was enthusiastic for the peace, and sneered at the Revolution.
Alexander Pope|Leslie Stephen
Curfoot turned his pointed muzzle toward the window and sneered at the sunny landscape.
The Dark Star|Robert W. Chambers
He sneered, but it was so nearly imperceptible that it did not seem ill-natured.
The Spirit of the Ghetto|Hutchins Hapgood
"Perhaps the boy means to pay the note of seven hundred dollars," sneered Squire Moses.
The Coming Wave|Oliver Optic

British Dictionary definitions for sneered

sneer

/ (snɪə) /

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

Derived Formssneerer, nounsneerful, adjectivesneering, adjective, nounsneeringly, adverb

Word Origin for sneer

C16: perhaps from Low Dutch; compare North Frisian sneere contempt

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for sneered

sneer

1550s, "to snort" (of horses), perhaps from North Frisian sneere "to scorn," related to Old English fnæran "to snort, gnash one's teeth," of imitative origin (cf. Danish snærre "to grin like a dog," Middle Dutch, Middle High German snarren "to rattle"). Meaning "to smile contemptuously" is from 1670s; sense of "to curl the upper lip in scorn" is attested from 1775. Related: Sneered; sneering. Sneer word is in E. Digby Baltzell (1987).

sneer

1707, from sneer (v.).

sneer

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

noun

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Origin of sneer

Examples from the Web for sneered

sneer

noun

verb

Word Origin for sneer

sneer

sneer