snub

American  

[snuhb] / snʌb /

verb (used with object)

snubbed, snubbing

1. to treat with disdain or contempt, especially by ignoring.

   Synonyms:

   slight

2. to check or reject with a sharp rebuke or remark.

   Synonyms:

   reprimand, reprove, stop

3. to check or stop suddenly (a rope or cable that is running out).

4. to check (a boat, an unbroken horse, etc.) by means of a rope or line made fast to a fixed object.

5. to pull up or stop abruptly in such a manner.

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noun

1. an act or instance of snubbing.

2. an affront, slight, or rebuff.

3. a sudden check given to a rope or cable running out, a moving boat, or the like.

adjective

1. (of the nose) short and turned up at the tip.

2. blunt.

snub British  

/ snʌb /

verb

1. to insult (someone) deliberately

2. 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

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noun

1. a deliberately insulting act or remark

2. nautical

   1. an elastic shock absorber attached to a mooring line

   2. ( as modifier )

      a snub rope

adjective

1. short and blunt See also snub-nosed

Other Word Forms

• snubber
  noun
• snubbingly
  adverb
• snubby
  adjective

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.

Example Sentences

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

But greater awareness does seem possible, notwithstanding the academy’s snub this year.

From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026

When asked about Vance's apparent snub, Kobakhidze said Georgia would wait "for as long as it takes, patiently" for the US to change its position.

From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026

Huggy new boss Mike Vrabel is going to be asked about Belichick’s snub so many times he should wear his answer on a sandwich board.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026

The cat eyes above the snub nose were alert, blinking and resetting their attention to the growing noise beyond the flats.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Related Words

• boycott
• disregard
• humiliate
• ignore
• neglect
• ostracize
• pass up
• rebuff
• scold
• scorn
• shun