snub
Americanverb (used with object)
-
snubs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
snubbed,
past participle, past
-
snubbing
present participle
-
to treat with disdain or contempt, especially by ignoring.
- Synonyms:
- slight
-
to check or reject with a sharp rebuke or remark.
-
to check or stop suddenly (a rope or cable that is running out).
-
to check (a boat, an unbroken horse, etc.) by means of a rope or line made fast to a fixed object.
-
to pull up or stop abruptly in such a manner.
noun
-
snubs
plural
-
an act or instance of snubbing.
-
an affront, slight, or rebuff.
-
a sudden check given to a rope or cable running out, a moving boat, or the like.
adjective
-
(of the nose) short and turned up at the tip.
verb
-
to insult (someone) deliberately
-
to stop or check the motion of (a boat, horse, etc) by taking turns of a rope or cable around a post or other fixed object
noun
-
a deliberately insulting act or remark
-
nautical
-
an elastic shock absorber attached to a mooring line
-
( as modifier )
a snub rope
-
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
snubsimple
-
snubssimple
-
have snubbedperfect
-
has snubbedperfect
-
am snubbingprogressive
-
are snubbingprogressive
-
is snubbingprogressive
-
have been snubbingperfect progressive
-
has been snubbingperfect progressive
Past
-
snubbedsimple
-
had snubbedperfect
-
was snubbingprogressive
-
were snubbingprogressive
-
had been snubbingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of snub
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English snubben, from Old Norse snubba “to scold, reprimand”; cognate with Middle Low German snūben
Explanation
To snub is to ignore or refuse to acknowledge someone. If you want to snub your former best friend, you can refuse to even look at her when you pass in the hallway. When you snub someone, you deliver an insult by pretending to not even notice someone that you know. There’s an element of disdain and rejection to a snub, as if you’re too good to even acknowledge the person. As a noun, a snub is that act of cold rejection. Your former friend probably noticed the snub, and she’ll probably snub you from now on. Snub also means "very short," like the nose on a bulldog.
Vocabulary lists containing snub
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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 move marks a snub to France's Safran, its historic engine supplier, whose CEO Olivier Andries, has said hydrogen aircraft are more suited to the next century.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
Saudi officials were displeased and interpreted Rubio’s decision not to visit Riyadh as a calculated snub, people familiar with the kingdom’s thinking said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
And First Lady Melania Trump decided to stay at home, an unusual snub of such a high-level event.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2026
Spain's colonisation of Mexico has become a thorny issue in recent years, prompting calls for an apology and an apparent diplomatic snub.
From BBC ● Apr. 18, 2026
Since this part of our property adjoined the palacio of the dictator's daughter and son-in-law, my grandfather had been reluctant to erect a high wall lest it be considered a snub.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
There is plenty of scope for awkward potential snubs for the tabloids to feast on.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
After past snubs, social-media site Reddit has landed a spot on the S&P 500, sending shares on an after-hours rally Thursday.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
The opening category set the tone for a string of snubs and surprises, which started coming thick and fast.
From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2026
In true diva fashion, Carey jokingly threw some shade at the music show for previous snubs as she received the award from Grande.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2025
Forty-seven snubs by forty-seven hooks; forty-seven receding by forty-seven prognathous chins.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
We talked about it again last December, after she had been hurt by being snubbed over the holidays.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
North Korea snubbed the move, saying it wouldn’t create any goodwill between the two countries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
I’ll start over: Greetings to all you Ilya and Shane shippers, fans of “The Madison” and other loyal subjects of snubbed shows and performers who tuned in to Wednesday’s nominations announcement livestream.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
With his photo entitled 'The Vikings are coming', Yarrow snubbed the tradition of shooting players on airplane steps.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
A commerçant had arrived by truck from Léopoldville, and in the rainy season that was a miracle not to be snubbed.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
The actor’s piece, titled “Breaking Up With My Toxic Mom Group,” accused other group members of snubbing Tisdale French from various gatherings and group chats.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
Maybe there should be little surprise that Maverick McNealy, an intelligent but unheralded American who once considered snubbing golf for a business career, is leading the way.
From BBC ● May 16, 2026
Delta Air Lines is planning to add Amazon’s planned satellite-internet services to hundreds of aircraft, snubbing Elon Musk’s Starlink, which has so far seen significant momentum in this market.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 31, 2026
The Indian captain would not say whether his players would shake hands after snubbing the Pakistan team in three Asia Cup meetings in Dubai last year.
From Barron's ● Feb. 14, 2026
There was none, only a single horse at the snubbing post.
From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood
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.
