Meaning & use

sneer

verb·Academic

To show contempt by a facial expression or remark, such as a curled lip or scornful tone.

See it in a sentence

He sneered at the suggestion, calling it a waste of everyone's time.

She tried not to sneer when her rival stumbled over his lines.

A note on using this word

The correct spelling is 'sneer'; 'snear' is a common misspelling that swaps the vowel order.

Words with a similar meaning

scoffmock

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Another way to use it

2. noun

A contemptuous facial expression or remark.

A faint sneer crossed his face when he read the amateur review.

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