snarky
English
Etymology
snark + -y; 1906, as “irritable”, from snark (“to snort”), by onomatopoeia (1866). Compare Low German snarken (“to snore”), North Frisian snarke, Swedish snarka.[1] In the sense “sarcastic” popularized in the late 1990s.[2]
Pronunciation
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 360: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "US" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈsnɑɹ.ki/
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 360: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "UK" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ˈsnɑː.ki/
Audio (UK): (file)
Adjective
snarky (comparative snarkier, superlative snarkiest)
- (informal, often humorous) Snide and sarcastic; usually out of irritation.
- 2011 October 19, “You may know me as a snarky caption writer whose work went viral”, in The Guardian[1]:
- In spite of its inherent banality, and because my editors let me relieve my dyspepsia by writing snarky captions, it is regularly one of the more popular destinations on the Globe and Mail website.
- (obsolete) Irritable, irritated.
- Synonym: cranky
- 1918, C. J. Dennis, “Dad”, in Digger Smith:
- 'E barks. "I'll do me work meself, yeh 'ear?" An' then 'e gits so snarky that I clear.
Derived terms
- snark (noun)
- snarkily
- snarkism
- snarkiness
Translations
sarcastic and irreverent
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Further reading
- “snarky”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
References
- ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “snarky”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
- ^ snarky_ADJ at the Google Books Ngram Viewer.