sneer

1 of 2

verb

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
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
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Verb
Second, the Jerries in Rommel’s Afrika Korps were honorable adversaries, while those in the S.S. were murderous, sneering bastards who cried Achtung Schweinhund! Alexander Rose, Air Mail, 28 June 2025 There were a few England-only watchers who sneered at MLS. Josh Gross, Oc Register, 15 June 2025
Noun
Up front, its face is a far more rectilinear sneer. Brett Berk, Robb Report, 8 July 2025 Yungblud’s voice — a piercing yelp that exists somewhere between Gerard Way’s wail and Brian Molko’s sneer — slotted him in the alt-rock world, but his aspirations seemed to stretch far beyond that categorization. Maura Johnston, Rolling Stone, 21 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for sneer

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of sneer was in 1680

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sneer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sneer. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

sneer

1 of 2 verb
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

More from Merriam-Webster on sneer

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