Meaning & use
sneer
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Meanings
verbintransitivedisapproving
To show scorn by curling the lip or by speaking in a mocking, contemptuous voice.
Grammar: Usually followed by at: sneer at someone's accent. It can also introduce speech: 'Is that all?' he sneered.
Patterns
- sneer at someone
- sneer at something
Some of the older students sneered at the new boy's homemade backpack.
He sneered when she admitted she had never traveled abroad.
'Typical,' she sneered, tossing the report aside.
nouncountabledisapproving
A look or remark that shows scorn, especially a curled upper lip.
Grammar: Countable: with a sneer, a sneer of contempt.
Patterns
- a sneer at something
- with a sneer
He answered the question with a sneer.
A faint sneer crossed her face as the amateur band began to play.
The critic's review was full of sneers and little else.
Word forms
| third person singular | sneers |
|---|---|
| past tense | sneered |
| past participle | sneered |
| -ing form | sneering |
| plural noun | sneers |
Common combinations
- sneer at
- It is easy to sneer at people who try and fail.
- a curl of a sneer
- There was a sneer on his lips as he read the note.
- sneering tone
- His sneering tone made the compliment sound like an insult.
- sneer openly
- The rival fans sneered openly at our team's mistakes.
- not to be sneered at
- A free week at the seaside is not to be sneered at.
Synonyms and how they differ
- scoff
- Scoff stresses mocking something as foolish, usually in words, while sneer is as much about the face as the voice.
- jeer
- Jeer is loud and often done by a crowd, whereas a sneer is quieter and more personal.
- smirk
- A smirk is a smug, self-satisfied smile, but a sneer shows open contempt for someone else.
- mock
- Mock means to make fun of someone, often by imitating them, and it does not require the curled-lip look of a sneer.
Opposites
Word family
- sneering adjective
- showing contempt, as in a sneering remark
- sneeringly adverb
- in a scornful, mocking way
- sneerer noun
- a person who sneers
Commonly confused: sneer or snare? sneer or sneak?
sneer vs snare
A snare is a trap for catching animals, and also a type of drum. It is a different word from sneer, which is about showing scorn.
sneer vs sneak
To sneak is to move or act secretly. Sneer is about scorn, not secrecy.
Practice
Which sentence spells the word for a scornful look or remark correctly?
Choose one answer.
The verb is spelled sneer, and its past tense is sneered. The other forms are misspellings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sneer”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.