snicker
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
noun
verb
-
Equivalent term (in Britain and certain other countries): snigger. to utter such a laugh
-
(of a horse) to whinny
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of snicker
First recorded in 1685–95; of expressive origin
Explanation
To snicker is to laugh in a mean or disrespectful way, often expressing superiority. We might snicker at a bully who walks directly into a closed door. You can also use this word's near-synonym, snigger, to describe a short snort of a laugh or a scornful sound. You know your stand-up comedy act isn't going well when you don't even get snickers from your audience. A secondary meaning of snicker is horse-related: to whinny. It's actually from this use that the Snickers candy bar gets its name. In 1930, the Mars family named it after their favorite horse — Snickers.
Vocabulary lists containing snicker
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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Where the Red Fern Grows
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A Thousand Splendid Suns
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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.
I got several quizzical looks and perhaps a snicker.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
"Like, wait a minute, you didn't pay anything at all, and yet you still have complaints?" she said with a snicker.
From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026
McCurry never belittled anyone, though occasionally the Bigfoot questions would cause other reporters to snicker.
From Salon • Oct. 24, 2025
They snicker like Duane couldn’t be more lame.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 28, 2025
It was a familiar snicker that swelled into a snorting guffaw—Jeff’s laugh.
From "George" by Alex Gino
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.
