sneer

¹sneer

verb \ˈsnir\

Definition of SNEER

intransitive verb

1

: to smile or laugh with facial contortions that express scorn or contempt

2

: to speak or write in a scornfully jeering manner

transitive verb

: to utter with a sneer

— sneer·er noun

Examples of SNEER

1. “You obviously don't know what you're talking about,” she sneered.
2. <in high school the in crowd would invariably sneer every time they passed the hapless nerds>

Origin of SNEER

probably akin to Middle High German snerren to chatter, gossip — more at snore

First Known Use: 1680

Related to SNEER

Synonyms: laugh, smile, snicker, snigger

Related Words: sniff, snort; catcall, deride, gibe (or jibe), hoot, insult, jeer, mock, ridicule; decry, despise, disdain; scoff (at), scorn; bad-mouth, belittle, disparage, pooh-pooh (also pooh), put down; heckle, jive, razz, rib, ride, taunt, tease, torment

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See Synonym Discussion at scoff

Rhymes with SNEER

beer, bier, blear, cere, cheer, clear, dear, deer, Deere, drear, ear, fear, fere, fleer, gear, hear, here, jeer, leer, mere, mir, near, peer, pier, Pierre, queer, rear, schmear, sear, seer, sere, shear, sheer, skirr, smear, spear, speer, sphere, steer, tear, tier, Trier, Tyr, veer, weir, year