snotty

American  

[snot-ee] / ˈsnɒt i /

adjective

snottier, snottiest

1. Vulgar. of or relating to snot.

2. Informal. snobbish; arrogant; supercilious.

   a snotty kid.

---

snotty British  

/ ˈsnɒtɪ /

adjective

1. dirty with nasal discharge

2. slang contemptible; nasty

3. snobbish; conceited

---

noun

1. a slang word for midshipman

Other Word Forms

• snottily adverb
• snottiness noun

Etymology

Origin of snotty

First recorded in 1560–70; snot + -y ¹

Explanation

When someone is arrogant or stuck-up, you might describe them as snotty. You'll get in trouble if you answer your teacher's question in a snotty voice. If you're new at school, you may imagine there will be snotty kids who won't let you sit with them at lunch—it'll be a pleasant surprise when they turn out to be friendly and welcoming. Snotty can also mean "clogged with mucus," like a crying toddler's snotty nose. This sniffly meaning was first recorded in the 1560s, while the "snobby" one came along almost three hundred years later.

Example Sentences

My cousin Qiaolian once told me about the day she first met me: I was a malnourished, dusty and snotty infant, not even a full year old, wrapped in a dirty blanket and kept hidden.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

A strong constitution also helps, faced with the hacking coughs and snotty noses of a particularly bad flu' season.

From BBC • Dec. 17, 2025

"There are thousands of them together, all coughing and splattering," Bamford said, adding that the seals are also particularly "snotty".

From Barron's • Nov. 13, 2025

Madekwe played a more obviously cruel gatekeeper in “Saltburn” as Jacob Elordi’s snotty American cousin, but he still holds all the keys.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 20, 2025

They have snotty noses and sore eyes and scabby knees.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt