snigger

American

[snig-er] / ˈsnɪg ər /

verb (used with or without object)

snicker.

snigger British

/ ˈsnɪkə, ˈsnɪɡə /

noun

a sly or disrespectful laugh, esp one partly stifled

"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

verb

to utter such a laugh

"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

sniggerer noun
sniggeringly adverb

Etymology

Origin of snigger

C18: variant of _snicker

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.

Australia is yet to see the best of Smith – he averages 23.16 against them from six one-day internationals - and any suggestions he is Gilchrist's heir will be met by sniggers down under.

From BBC

No sniggering jokes now about princely flings and sulky princesses and body doubles.

From Los Angeles Times

She sniggers at her boyfriend who teases her as she lines up her shot at a snooker hall in Qinhuangdao, just a few hours' drive from Beijing.

From BBC

Earlier in the inquest, a witness statement said that Alan Derry had a "mocking and unpleasant tone" and "sniggered loudly" in a meeting.

From BBC

Yes, there could be the odd snigger at the quality of some of the opposition, but then there are no freebies in international football.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023