snivel
[ sniv-uhl ]
/ ˈsnɪv əl /
Save This Word!
Definition of snivel
verb (used without object), sniv·eled, sniv·el·ing or (especially British) sniv·elled, sniv·el·ling.
verb (used with object), sniv·eled, sniv·el·ing or (especially British) sniv·elled, sniv·el·ling.
to utter with sniveling or sniffling.
noun
QUIZ
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!
Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between "it’s" and "its" in this crafty quiz!
Question 1 of 8
On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.
Origin of snivel
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English snyvele; compare Old English snyflung “sniveling,” derivative of snofl “mucus”; cognate with Low German snüfeln
OTHER WORDS FROM snivel
sniv·el·er; especially British, sniv·el·ler, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use snivel in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for snivel
snivel
/ (ˈsnɪvəl) /
verb -els, -elling or -elled or US -els, -eling or -eled
(intr) to sniffle as a sign of distress, esp contemptibly
to utter (something) tearfully; whine
(intr) to have a runny nose
noun
an instance of snivelling
Derived forms of snivel
sniveller, nounsnivelling, adjective, nounsnivelly, adjectiveWord Origin for snivel
C14 snivelen; related to Old English snyflung mucus, Dutch snuffelen to smell out, Old Norse snoppa snout
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