Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of snobbish
Explanation
Someone who's snobbish makes it clear that he thinks he's better than most other people. Your snobbish cousin might refuse to borrow your rain coat because it looks "cheap." If you're snobbish, you believe there are different social classes of people, and that you belong to the highest one. A snobbish person might think that graduating from a certain college makes him better than others, or that having more money makes him superior to those with less. The root is snob, which evolved from meaning "shoemaker" in 1700's Britain to being university slang for "ordinary person who apes his social superiors" to "one who despises those he considers inferior."
Vocabulary lists containing snobbish
The Catcher in the Rye
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Ten Most Relevant Words: The Great Gatsby, Chapter 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Born a Crime
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Or a member of the snobbish mouse family, the Hoity-Toits?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
It made me painfully aware of just how snobbish and short-sighted my perspective was.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026
Even still to this day, the word "narcissist" gets misused to describe people who are merely snobbish or egotistical.
From Salon ● Jun. 9, 2025
They had feared he might be some snobbish yachtie or posing Instagrammer, who would make sure they knew who was boss.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2024
“Yeah. Buellton and Brownley, really, but what kind of names are those for knuckleheads like them? Mom was going through some snobbish upper-class phase with husband number one.”
From "Among the Hidden" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
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.
