snot
Americannoun
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Vulgar. mucus from the nose.
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Informal. a disrespectful or supercilious person.
noun
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nasal mucus or discharge
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slang a contemptible person
Etymology
Origin of snot
1350–1400; Middle English; compare Middle Low German, Middle Dutch snotte, Old English gesnot, Danish snot
Explanation
Snot is the discharge that comes from your nose when you have a bad cold. You'll want to carry tissues or a handkerchief with you when you're sneezing, to keep the snot contained. There are two meanings of the noun snot: the first, mucus, can be unpleasant. The second meaning, an irritatingly arrogant person, is also unpleasant. If a little kid acts like a snot, his babysitter is definitely not going to let him stay up past his bedtime. If you're a snot to your best friend, she might not speak to you the next day. Snot comes from the Old English word gesnot, or "nasal mucus," from a Germanic root.
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.
Meet Kyle Tucker, a right fielder who slugs the snot out of the ball and who is now a $60-million-a-year Dodger.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2026
Don’t look now, but a Lincoln Riley team just beat the snot out of a Big Ten bruiser.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 12, 2025
Begay was covered in sheep snot, but still felt content.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 31, 2023
The camera jogs along with Ken as he holds back snot and tears, doing his best not to alarm the carousing guests.
From Salon • Apr. 10, 2023
A little snot came out of my nose, even.
From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
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.
