snore

American  

[snawr, snohr] / snɔr, snoʊr /

verb (used without object)

snored, snoring

1. to breathe during sleep with hoarse or harsh sounds caused by the vibrating of the soft palate.

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verb (used with object)

snored, snoring

1. to pass (time) in snoring or sleeping (usually followed by away orout ).

   to snore the day away.

noun

1. the act, instance, or sound of snoring.

2. Slang. a person or thing that is dull and boring.

   Eighth grade is such a snore.

snore British  

/ snɔː /

verb

1. (intr) to breathe through the mouth and nose while asleep with snorting sounds caused by vibrations of the soft palate

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noun

1. the act or sound of snoring

Other Word Forms

• outsnore
  verb (used with object)
• snorer
  noun
• unsnoring
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of snore

1300–50; Middle English snoren (v.); cognate with Middle Low German, Middle Dutch snorren

Explanation

If you snore, you breathe loudly through your nose while you're asleep. If your roommate snores, you may need to get yourself some ear plugs so that you can sleep. Most of us snore occasionally when we're congested, but some people snore every time they sleep. This kind of snore can be a serious health problem, since air isn't flowing easily in and out as the snorer breathes. In some cases, snoring is connected to sleep apnea, which means a sleeper actually stops breathing several times throughout the night. Colloquially, a snore is also a dull, boring thing: "The movie was a total snore."

Example Sentences

By Sunday night, it counted as a relative snore when the Patriots and Chargers entered the final 15 minutes of their matchup locked in a one-score game.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 12, 2026

However, these teens who snored did not exhibit any differences in their reading and language abilities, nor any difference on memory or cognitive processing tests compared to their peers who did not snore.

From Science Daily • Nov. 21, 2024

"With the AI, it can be trained to know what you sound like specifically when you snore," a representative insists.

From BBC • Jan. 12, 2024

You might expect a book about parking to be a snore.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2023

And he spat the blood from his mouth and closed his eyes and began to snore, in deep and magnificent snores.

From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman

Related Words

• wheeze