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.
She famously played snobbish suburban neighbour Margo Leadbetter in The Good Life, as well as the widowed aristocrat Audrey fforbes-Hamilton in To the Manor Born.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
It made me painfully aware of just how snobbish and short-sighted my perspective was.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 2, 2026
Kennedy admits she has to stop herself from being snobbish about the definition.
From Salon ● Nov. 30, 2025
In the rare event that you do face down a truly snobbish somm, DiGrigoli believes there isn’t much point in engaging.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2025
If Caroline wanted to be snobbish about Betty Jean, she could do it on her own.
From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
