sneer

1 of 2

verb

ˈsnir 

sneered; sneering; sneers

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

sneerer noun

sneer

2 of 2

noun

: the act of sneering

also : a sneering expression or remark

Synonyms of sneer

Verb

• laugh
• smile

Choose the Right Synonym for sneer

scoff, jeer, gibe, fleer, sneer, flout mean to show one's contempt in derision or mockery.

scoff stresses insolence, disrespect, or incredulity as motivating the derision.

scoffed at their concerns

jeer suggests a coarser more undiscriminating derision.

the crowd jeered at the prisoners

gibe implies taunting either good-naturedly or in sarcastic derision.

hooted and gibed at the umpire

fleer suggests grinning or grimacing derisively.

the saucy jackanapes fleered at my credulity

sneer stresses insulting by contemptuous facial expression, phrasing, or tone of voice.

sneered at anything romantic

flout stresses contempt shown by refusal to heed.

flouted the conventions of polite society

Examples of sneer in a Sentence

Verb

“You obviously don't know what you're talking about,” she sneered.

Noun

She looked at me with a sneer of disgust.

“They're paranoid,” he said with a sneer.

The novel elicited sneers from the critics.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The reader is not asked to sneer at Ruby for wanting Ellen’s attention. — Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026

With its poppy, choppy script, editing, and visual style, Tank Girl was sneered out of theaters. — Sara Netzley, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026

Noun

Then, after walking for a couple of blocks, directing withering sneers at the policeman’s reddish face, which was as impassive as that of a stone idol, Gleb cooled down and succumbed to boredom. — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2026

Maeve’s a fish out of water and sneers at all the townsfolk, except for one pretty boy (Costa D’Angelo). — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

1680, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1707, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sneer

• beer
• bier
• cheer
• clear
• dear
• deer
• drear
• ear
• fear
• fier
• gear
• hear

Kids Definition

sneer

1 of 2 verb

ˈsni(ə)r 

1

: to smile or laugh with expressions of scorn

2

: to speak or write in a scorning manner

sneerer noun

sneer

2 of 2 noun

: a sneering expression or remark