What does "sneer" mean?
A facial expression where one slightly raises one corner of the upper lip, generally indicating scorn.
Sneer
/snɪɚ̯/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A facial expression where one slightly raises one corner of the upper lip, generally indicating scorn.
- Grammar: sneer is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: barrack, be above, be contemptuous of, cackling.
- Useful contrasts: hoorahs, admiration, admire.
- Usage evidence: "No, no! That isn't the smiling face we are looking for." It was a 'smirk' either that or a 'sneer'.
How to use "sneer"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sneer" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "sneer" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "sneer" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sneer" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "sneer" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "barrack" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "sneer", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A facial expression where one slightly raises one corner of the upper lip, generally indicating scorn.
"Near them, on the sand, / Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown, / And wrinked lip, and sneer of cold command, / Tell that its sculptor well those passions read"
- 2 a facial expression of contempt or scorn; the upper lip curls wordnet
- 3 A display of contempt; scorn.
"And wordy attacks against slavery drew sneers from observers which were not altogether undeserved. The authors were compared to doctors who offered to a patient nothing more than invectives against the disease which consumed him."
- 4 a contemptuous or scornful remark wordnet
Verb
- 1 To raise a corner of the upper lip slightly, especially in scorn. intransitive
"So General Oakfield's friends taunted him with having been beaten, and Blackeston's friends sneered at him for not having called the general out. Blackeston, a studious and sensitive man, felt the taunts of his friends as only a student can."
- 2 smile contemptuously wordnet
- 3 To utter with a grimace or contemptuous expression; to say sneeringly. transitive
"to sneer fulsome lies at a person"
- 4 express through a scornful smile wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
""No, no! That isn't the smiling face we are looking for." It was a 'smirk' either that or a 'sneer'."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sneer"?
Common synonyms include: barrack, be above, be contemptuous of, cackling, care nothing for, chaff.
How do you use "sneer" in a sentence?
"No, no! That isn't the smiling face we are looking for." It was a 'smirk' either that or a 'sneer'.
How do you pronounce "sneer"?
Pronounced /snɪɚ̯/.
Etymology
From Middle English sneren (“to mock, scoff at”), from Old English fnǣran (“to snort”), from Proto-West Germanic *fnāʀijan, from Proto-Germanic *fnesaną (“to pant, gasp”). Akin to North Frisian sneere (“to scorn”), Middle High German snerren (“to chatter; gossip”), Danish snerre (“to growl, snarl”).