snore
Americanverb (used without object)
-
snores,
present (3rd person singular)
-
snored,
past participle, past
-
snoring
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
snores,
present (3rd person singular)
-
snored,
past participle, past
-
snoring
present participle
noun
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snores
plural
-
the act, instance, or sound of snoring.
-
Slang. a person or thing that is dull and boring.
Eighth grade is such a snore.
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
snoresimple
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snoressimple
-
have snoredperfect
-
has snoredperfect
-
am snoringprogressive
-
are snoringprogressive
-
is snoringprogressive
-
have been snoringperfect progressive
-
has been snoringperfect progressive
Past
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snoredsimple
-
had snoredperfect
-
was snoringprogressive
-
were snoringprogressive
-
had been snoringperfect progressive
Future
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."
Vocabulary lists containing snore
Festival of Sleep Day
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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.
See Examples For:
The way they speed and slow, roar and snore, constantly balancing thrust to counteract changing winds?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2025
On a few occasions he lifts his head to take a deep breath without opening his eyes, at one point beginning to snore softly.
From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2025
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
You might expect a book about parking to be a snore.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2023
The rise and fall of Slopper's soft snore spilled into the space.
From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline
As for Godzilla, it snores like a kitten.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 6, 2026
Aside from being a general nuisance with their ferocious snores, pungent odors and growls, bears can do serious damage to a home.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2026
She says Betty is now "very eager to learn. She snores but other than that she's really quite incredible".
From BBC ● Dec. 6, 2025
When a human being or another mammal snores, it's because air is flowing past the soft tissues in the pharyngeal airway, such as the tongue, soft palette and throat muscles.
From Salon ● Jan. 11, 2024
Once Jay’s light snores started, I kept ignoring sleep, instead trying and trying to lift out of my body again, but I couldn’t.
From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce
Dogs snored next to their owners, who were glued to their phones, screens lighting up weary faces.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
As he snored companionably, I wondered how I’d handle our next progression, whatever that would be.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
Around her, people snored, babies cried and dogs barked.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 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
Ben talked in his sleep, and Maisie and the baby both snored.
From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell
But witnesses said that Pike remained awake longer than expected and was later heard "loudly snoring" before an ambulance rushed her to a nearby hospital.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
The condemned woman was "loudly snoring, clearly very alive" as the journalists were ushered out of the area, Chandler told CBS.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
We always have grand plans about watching a movie or whatever, and then we’re both inevitably snoring by 10 p.m. at the latest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
And 75% of people with a snoring partner say they have had their sleep impacted, according to a US survey by the Sleep Foundation.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
Some nights, after Chicken was snoring in the bottom bunk, a buttery popcorn smell came from the kitchen.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
