snob

noun

ˈsnäb 

1

British : cobbler

2

: one who blatantly imitates, fawningly admires, or vulgarly seeks association with those regarded as social superiors

3

a

: one who tends to rebuff, avoid, or ignore those regarded as inferior

b

: one who has an offensive air of superiority in matters of knowledge or taste

Synonyms of snob

• snot
• elitist

Examples of snob in a Sentence

Most of the people in the club are snobs who look down on people who attended public schools.

Don't be such a snob.

Recent Examples on the Web

Takeya’s beloved cold-brew pitcher is coffee snob–approved and wallet-friendly. —Francesca Krempa, StyleCaster, 25 Nov. 2025

There was Le Art Mal, wherein the Society spent months gathering hideous paintings and showcased them in a failing gallery, duping hoards of snobs into a fake opening, complete with bad cheese and red wine. —Chuck Palahniuk, Vulture, 13 Nov. 2025

Coffee snobs know that having one of the best coffee grinders in your arsenal is imperative. —Jack Byram, Architectural Digest, 7 Nov. 2025

The hard-to-shop-for scent snob in your family? —Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1781, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing snob

• anti-snob
• snob appeal
• snob value

Rhymes for snob

• blob
• bob
• cob
• daub
• fob
• glob
• gob
• hob
• job
• knob
• lob
• mob

Kids Definition

snob

noun

ˈsnäb 

1

: one who imitates, admires, or seeks association with those of higher social position

2

: one who looks down upon those felt to be less important

Etymology

from obsolete snob "a member of the lower classes," from a dialect word snob "cobbler, shoemaker"

Word Origin

Snob is an old word in English for "a cobbler, a person who makes or repairs shoes." Cobblers came to be thought of as representative of all of the working-class or lower-class people. In time the name snob came to be applied to the lower classes as distinguished from the nobility, the landowners, and the rich merchants. From its being used for any member of the lower class, snob soon came to mean "a person who pretends to be a member of a higher class, one who imitates the clothing, speech, and manners of the nobility." Nowadays the word means "anyone who acts as if he or she were better than others."