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Showing results for sniffy. Search instead for sniffier.
Synonyms

sniffy

American  
[snif-ee] / ˈsnɪf i /

adjective

Informal.
sniffier, sniffiest
  1. inclined to sniff, as in scorn; disdainful; supercilious.

    He was very sniffy about breaches of etiquette.


sniffy British  
/ ˈsnɪfɪ /

adjective

  1. informal contemptuous or disdainful

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of sniffy

First recorded in 1865–70; sniff + -y 1

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:

A mini natural mouth wash, gum, a charging cord, deodorant, there’s probably a spare pair of socks, and then those sniffy menthol things for your nose.

From Los Angeles Times Feb. 14, 2026

But they have been pretty sniffy about the likelihood of it happening.

From BBC Sep. 29, 2022

But I soon found that I was wrong to be sniffy.

From New York Times Oct. 7, 2021

It is unclear whether the president, known to be sniffy about Ivy League educations, was aware of the difference.

From Salon Oct. 2, 2020

The clothes were a bit sniffy, but then, from my meager experience with Chase, it seemed that eight-year-old boys could be a bit sniffy themselves.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

Now, it’s schooling those sniffier schools on how to reopen safely.

From Los Angeles Times Nov. 21, 2020

Photograph: Adrian Roger/BBC It should of course be "Football AM" – an insuperable barrier for the sniffier sports fan.

From The Guardian Dec. 21, 2012

Even the sniffiest film snobs love a good, old-fashioned popcorn movie — especially when it’s shown at a good, old-fashioned drive-in theater.

From Washington Post Jun. 4, 2015

To that end, the Federation analyzes 35,000 samples of coffee a year domestically and worldwide to ensure that the Colombian coffee being produced will pass muster with even the sniffiest of coffee snobs.

From Salon May 13, 2013

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