sneer

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /snɪə̯/
• IPA^(key): /snɪə̯ɹ/

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

Verb

sneer (third-person singular simple present sneers, present participle sneering, simple past and past participle sneered)

1. (intransitive) To raise a corner of the upper lip slightly, especially in scorn
2. (transitive) To utter with a grimace or contemptuous expression; to say sneeringly.

   to sneer fulsome lies at a person

   "Now here's someone who should attend privilege workshops," sneered she.

Translations

raise a corner of the upper lip slightly in scorn

• Dutch: de (nl) neus (nl) optrekken (nl)/ophalen (nl)
• Esperanto: rikani
• Finnish: hymähtää ivallisesti, irvistää (fi)
• French: ricaner (fr)
• German: grinsen (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient Greek: μυκτηρίζω (muktērízō)

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hebrew: סָנַט (he)
• Italian: ghignare (it), sogghignare (it)
• Japanese: 嘲る (azakeru), 冷笑する (ja) (reishō suru)
• Maori: whakarāwai, whakahīhī, whakahī
• Norwegian: hånflire
• Swedish: grina (sv)

to mock with a grimace

• Maori: whakarāwai
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Polish: drwić (pl) impf, szydzić (pl) impf, kpić (pl) impf

Noun

sneer (plural sneers)

1. A facial expression where one slightly raises one corner of the upper lip, generally indicating scorn.
2. A display of contempt; scorn.
   • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 8, in The China Governess‎^[1]:

     It was a casual sneer, obviously one of a long line. There was hatred behind it, but of a quiet, chronic type, nothing new or unduly virulent, and he was taken aback by the flicker of amazed incredulity that passed over the younger man's ravaged face.

   • 2019 July 24, David Austin Walsh, “Flirting With Fascism”, in Jewish Currents‎^[2]:

     During [Tucker] Carlson’s keynote, he wedged sneers at his critics for crying “racist!” in between racist remarks about [Ilhan] Omar, jeremiads against the media (“I know there’s a bunch of reporters here, so . . . screw you”), and an attack on Elizabeth Warren and her donors (“She’s a tragedy, because she’s now obsessed with racism, which is why the finance world supports her”)—all to gleeful applause.

Translations

facial expression that indicates scorn

• Catalan: somriure de menyspreu m, somriure d'escarni m
• Finnish: ivahymy (fi), irvistys (fi)
• Italian: ghigno (it) m, sogghigno (it) m
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: 嘲笑 (ja) (chōshō), 冷笑 (ja) (reishō)
• Latin: sanna f
• Russian: насме́шка (ru) m (nasméška)

See also

• snarl

Anagrams

• Neers, Resen, ernes, neers, reens

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Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sneːr/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

sneer m (plural sneren or sneers, diminutive sneertje n)

1. snide remark