Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A scornful facial expression characterized by a slight raising of one corner of the upper lip.
- noun A scornful tone or statement.
- intransitive verb To assume a scornful or derisive facial expression.
- intransitive verb To speak in a scornful or derisive manner.
- intransitive verb To utter with a sneer or in a sneering manner.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A derisive or contemptuous grin or smile; an expression of the face marked by a slight turning up of the nose, and indicating contempt; a look of scorn, disdain, or derision; hence, the feeling thus expressed.
- noun A verbal expression of contempt; an insinuation of scorn or derision by language more or less covert and indirect.
- noun Synonyms See sneer, v. i.
- To grin or laugh foolishly.
- To grin; especially and usually, to grin or smile in a contemptuous manner; express contempt by a grimace marked by slight turning up of the nose.
- To insinuate contempt by a covert expression; use words suggestive rather than expressive of contempt; speak derisively.
- Synonyms Scoff, Sneer, Jeer, Gibe. Scoff is the strongest word for the expression of utter contempt or abhorrence by opprobrious lauguage. To sneer is to express contempt by more or less covert sarcasm. To jeer is to try to raise a laugh by sarcastic language. To gibe is to use contemptuous, mocking, or taunting expressions.
- To treat or address with sneers; treat with contempt; sneer at.
- To utter with a contemptuous expression or grimace.
- To affect in a specified way by sneering.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb To utter with a grimace or contemptuous expression; to utter with a sneer; to say sneeringly.
- transitive verb To treat with sneers; to affect or move by sneers.
- intransitive verb To show contempt by turning up the nose, or by a particular facial expression.
- intransitive verb To inssinuate contempt by a covert expression; to speak derisively.
- intransitive verb rare To show mirth awkwardly.
- noun The act of sneering.
- noun A smile, grin, or contortion of the face, indicative of contempt; an indirect expression or insinuation of contempt.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb To
raise a corner of the upperlip slightly, especially inscorn - noun A facial expression where one slightly
raises one corner of the upper lip, generally indicatingscorn . - noun A display of
contempt ;scorn
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb smile contemptuously
- noun a contemptuous or scornful remark
- noun a facial expression of contempt or scorn; the upper lip curls
- verb express through a scornful smile
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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The God of the Gaps sneer is invoked to imply the inexorability of materialism as a complete explanation in natural science.
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Sold 10 copies and received one sneer from a kid carrying a signed copy of Badrock/Wolverine.
How Much Self-Publishing Really Costs » Comics Worth Reading 2010
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Make false accusations and sneer from the safety of the shadows?
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The sneer is purely at the expense of customers at the bookshop where the sneerer worked asking when the next Harry Potter book would be out.
December 2008 Maxine 2008
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The sneer is purely at the expense of customers at the bookshop where the sneerer worked asking when the next Harry Potter book would be out.
Stop being snobby about reading Maxine 2008
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The sneer is purely at the expense of customers at the bookshop where the sneerer worked asking when the next Harry Potter book would be out.
Stop being snobby about reading Maxine 2008
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And in every case, the groups who don't have that particular label sneer and act as if they, too, don't do the exact same thing.
Deep Phobic Memory Steven Barnes 2010
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A sneer is not the same as dismissing an argument on its merits.
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Both Monster X and my monstrous ex-boss had the same deranged gaze, the same built-in sneer, the same sloped head, the same belligerent personality and the same sense of utter ridiculousness in trying to assert their authority.
Current Movie Reviews, Independent Movies - Film Threat 2006
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(The ‘history lesson’ sneer is a clear hit at all the detailed back-stories inspired by the Appendices of LOTR; a fortiori at the original, whether he was aware of it or not.)
Campbell’s Cream of Fantasy superversive 2006
brtom commented on the word sneer
She wants that delicacy of tint, and mellowness of sneer, which distinguish your ladyship’s scandal.
Sheridan, School for Scandal
January 5, 2008
agustinolvera commented on the word sneer
Eclispe by Stephenie Meyer Page 82
-"I glanced, wide eyed, from Edwards grimace to Jacobs sneer."
November 1, 2010
natalie_portmanteaux commented on the word sneer
Sneer, a portmanteau of snort and leer.
March 8, 2020