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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

  • sniffily adverb
  • sniffiness noun

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.

Richard Slaney, Lightroom’s chief executive, said that “Bigger & Smaller” was a “huge risk” for Hockney, given the sniffy reception other interactive spectacles had received.

From New York Times • Feb. 22, 2023

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

From BBC • Sep. 29, 2022

Both have tried, with varying success, to overcome the sniffy charges of flashiness.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2022

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

From Salon • Oct. 2, 2020

“All right — I only came in here because people outside are behaving very childishly, racing up and down the corridors,” said Hermione in a sniffy voice.

From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling

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.