Synonyms

snippy

American

[snip-ee] / ˈsnɪp i /

Also snippety

adjective

snippier, snippiest

sharp or curt, especially in a supercilious or haughty way; impertinent.
scrappy or fragmentary.

snippy British

/ ˈsnɪpɪ /

adjective

scrappy; fragmentary
informal fault-finding
dialect mean; stingy

"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

snippetiness noun
snippily adverb
snippiness noun

Etymology

Origin of snippy

First recorded in 1720–30; snip + -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.

Perhaps your friend was experiencing some anxiety about the day, which resulted in her being snippy with you.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 28, 2025

Instead, the Rangers head coach was was short, snippy and sombre.

From BBC • Sep. 26, 2025

McKenna stood a regal 6 feet tall, and could be snippy and imperious when annoyed, friends said.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2025

There’s nothing more appealing than watching a snippy Ford say some of the most outrageous lines on TV.

From Salon • Dec. 20, 2024

As much as I found Robbie to be snippy and inflexible, I’d also internalized her devotion to rigor.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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