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

Verb

• laugh
• smile
• snicker
• snigger

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.

they brushed off his sneer and went about their business

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

Stone sails through all this, seeing off the sneering disapproval of white America and the presumptuous demands of the Black Panthers with equal disdain, and for a time his band, the aptly named Sly and the Family Stone, become a republic within the republic. —Damon Wise, Deadline, 24 Jan. 2025

Yet everything remains the same for Delia, whose romantic fantasies have given way to an embrace of her roles as dutiful wife and loving mother despite the sneering condescension and outright physical abuse at the hands of her strutting petty tyrant husband Ivano (Valerio Mastandrea). —Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 21 Jan. 2025

Noun

Ruby’s face hardened, her lips twisting into a sneer. —Lizz Schumer, People.com, 2 Jan. 2025

Donning false teeth and a homicidal sneer, Dafoe embodied pure evil in Lynch’s crazed road movie, starring opposite Laura Dern and Nicolas Cage. —Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024

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

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