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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
snickersimple
-
snickerssimple
-
have snickeredperfect
-
has snickeredperfect
-
am snickeringprogressive
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are snickeringprogressive
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is snickeringprogressive
-
have been snickeringperfect progressive
-
has been snickeringperfect progressive
Past
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snickeredsimple
-
had snickeredperfect
-
was snickeringprogressive
-
were snickeringprogressive
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had been snickeringperfect progressive
Future
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.
See Examples For:
Of course you snicker — her character hasn’t gone past the first-class curtain since everyone onboard got served a hot meal and plenty of legroom.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026
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
Sometimes, people will snicker at that, as if cheese in and of itself isn't substantial or legitimate enough to constitute as a favorite food, but they are mistaken.
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2023
"So," said Duke with a dismissive snicker, “I hear Jenny Yen thinks you look like me.”
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
In point 16 of the X post, Karp wrote: "The culture almost snickers at Musk's interest in grand narrative, as if billionaires ought to simply stay in their lane of enriching themselves."
From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026
I can also explain why, despite the snickers and stares and perpetually blooming bruises, it’s still worth it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2025
“It speaks to my heart and speaks to humanity,” she said over snickers from the audience.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 4, 2024
My boyfriend remains utterly enraptured by the show's unhinged absurdism, while I usually struggle to give rise to an audible chuckle, save for a few smirks and snickers.
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2023
Angel snickers and pretends she’s working hard on her assignment.
From "Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero" by Kelly J. Baptist
They snickered two years later when he announced that while he personally opposed abortion, he now supported a woman’s right to choose.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026
The gullible may have stood in awe, but sophisticated travelers scoffed and snickered at the big egg, obviously laid by an ordinary ostrich.
From Slate ● Feb. 11, 2024
The idea was dismissed as a “blubber restaurant” and snickered about in the food world in far more tasteless terms.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 9, 2023
I also snickered at the line Sarah's husband Peter tells her, "Even if I can't be with her, I don't want to be with you."
From Salon ● Apr. 15, 2022
I didn’t disappoint, walking down the church aisle in my socks while everybody nudged their neighbor and snickered.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
They’re even snickering at serious moments, distracting those around them and on stage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 8, 2026
I heard some light snickering in the background, but pushed ahead.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 9, 2024
But snickering and irreverence aside, the Milan native was also a towering figure — both influential and polarizing — who reshaped the Italian media and political landscape in his image.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 12, 2023
Among the crypto community on Twitter, however, there was some snickering that FTX missed a big opportunity in Sui.
From New York Times ● May 11, 2023
Owen was snickering now too, and they took a much-needed moment to laugh it out.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
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.
