Meaning of "sneer" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD SNEER

Perhaps from Low Dutch; compare North Frisian sneere contempt.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF SNEER

snɪə

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF SNEER

Sneer is a verb and can also act as a noun.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb sneer in English.

WHAT DOES SNEER MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Sneer

A sneer is a facial expression of scorn or disgust characterized by a slight raising of one corner of the upper lip, known also as curling the lip or turning up the nose. In The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals, Charles Darwin defined a "sneer" as "the upper lip being retracted in such a manner that the canine tooth on one side of the face alone is shown" Darwin related the sneer to the snarl observed in non-human animals, particularly carnivores, observing that: The uncovering of the canine tooth is the result of a double movement. The angle or corner of the mouth is drawn a little backwards, and at the same time a muscle which runs parallel to and near the nose draws up the outer part of the upper lip, and exposes the canine on this side of the face. The contraction of this muscle makes a distinct furrow on the cheek, and produces strong wrinkles under the eye, especially at its inner corner. The action is the same as that of a snarling dog; and a dog when pretending to fight often draws up the lip on one side alone, namely that facing his antagonist.

Definition of sneer in the English dictionary

The first definition of sneer in the dictionary is a facial expression of scorn or contempt, typically with the upper lip curled. Other definition of sneer is a scornful or contemptuous remark or utterance. Sneer is also to assume a facial expression of scorn or contempt.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO SNEER

PRESENT

Present

I sneer

you sneer

he/she/it sneers

we sneer

you sneer

they sneer

Present continuous

I am sneering

you are sneering

he/she/it is sneering

we are sneering

you are sneering

they are sneering

Present perfect

I have sneered

you have sneered

he/she/it has sneered

we have sneered

you have sneered

they have sneered

Present perfect continuous

I have been sneering

you have been sneering

he/she/it has been sneering

we have been sneering

you have been sneering

they have been sneering

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I sneered

you sneered

he/she/it sneered

we sneered

you sneered

they sneered

Past continuous

I was sneering

you were sneering

he/she/it was sneering

we were sneering

you were sneering

they were sneering

Past perfect

I had sneered

you had sneered

he/she/it had sneered

we had sneered

you had sneered

they had sneered

Past perfect continuous

I had been sneering

you had been sneering

he/she/it had been sneering

we had been sneering

you had been sneering

they had been sneering

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will sneer

you will sneer

he/she/it will sneer

we will sneer

you will sneer

they will sneer

Future continuous

I will be sneering

you will be sneering

he/she/it will be sneering

we will be sneering

you will be sneering

they will be sneering

Future perfect

I will have sneered

you will have sneered

he/she/it will have sneered

we will have sneered

you will have sneered

they will have sneered

Future perfect continuous

I will have been sneering

you will have been sneering

he/she/it will have been sneering

we will have been sneering

you will have been sneering

they will have been sneering

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would sneer

you would sneer

he/she/it would sneer

we would sneer

you would sneer

they would sneer

Conditional continuous

I would be sneering

you would be sneering

he/she/it would be sneering

we would be sneering

you would be sneering

they would be sneering

Conditional perfect

I would have sneer

you would have sneer

he/she/it would have sneer

we would have sneer

you would have sneer

they would have sneer

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been sneering

you would have been sneering

he/she/it would have been sneering

we would have been sneering

you would have been sneering

they would have been sneering

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you sneer
we let´s sneer
you sneer

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to sneer

Past participle

sneered

Present Participle

sneering

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

SYNONYMS OF «SNEER»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «sneer» and belong to the same grammatical category.

deride · derision · disdain · gibe · jeer · laugh · mock · mockery · ridicule · scoff · scorn · sniff at · snigger

TRANSLATION OF SNEER

Find out the translation of sneer to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of sneer from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «sneer» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 嘲笑
• Translator English - Spanish: sonreír con desprecio
• English: sneer
• Translator English - Hindi: उपहास
• Translator English - Arabic: سخرية
• Translator English - Russian: насмешка
• Translator English - Portuguese: rir-se com desdém
• Translator English - Bengali: টিটকারি
• Translator English - French: grimacer
• Translator English - Malay: Mengejek
• Translator English - German: spöttisch lächeln
• Translator English - Japanese: 冷笑する
• Translator English - Korean: 비웃다
• Translator English - Javanese: Sneer
• Translator English - Vietnamese: nụ cười khinh bỉ
• Translator English - Tamil: பரிகாசம் செய்
• Translator English - Marathi: चहाडी
• Translator English - Turkish: alay
• Translator English - Italian: sogghignare
• Translator English - Polish: szydzić
• Translator English - Ukrainian: насмішка
• Translator English - Romanian: insinuare
• Translator English - Greek: χλεύη
• Translator English - Afrikaans: ginnegappen
• Translator English - Swedish: hån
• Translator English - Norwegian: flir

8 QUOTES WITH «SNEER»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word sneer.

1

Billy Bragg

Were it not for the Clash, punk would have been just a sneer, a safety pin and a pair of bondage trousers.

2

Gustav Heinemann

Therefore it does not help to sneer at the imperfection of today's reality or to preach absolutes as a daily agenda.

3

Jack Kevorkian

What looks like enjoyment is the sneer of contempt. That's not a smile.

4

Charles Kingsley

The world goes up and the world goes down, the sunshine follows the rain; and yesterday's sneer and yesterday's frown can never come over again.

5

Ovid

A new idea is delicate. It can be killed by a sneer or a yawn; it can be stabbed to death by a quip and worried to death by a frown on the right man's brow.

6

William Paley

Who can refute a sneer?

7

Rick Perlstein

Conservatism is, among many other things, a culture. The most important glue binding it together is a shared sense of cultural grievance - the conviction, uniting conservatives high and low, theocratic and plutocratic, neocon and paleocon, that someone, somewhere is looking down their noses at them with a condescending sneer.

8

Ann Voskamp

Giving thanks is that: making the canyon of pain into a megaphone to proclaim the ultimate goodness of God when Satan and all the world would sneer at us to recant.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «SNEER»

Discover the use of sneer in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to sneer and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

The British drama; a collection of the most esteemed ...

Sir, why should I wish to have it answered, when I tell you I am pleased at it? Dang. True, I had forgot that — But 1 hope you are not fretted at what Mr. Sneer Sir F. Zounds ! no, Mr. Dangle, don't I tell you these things never fret me in the least.

British drama, 1824

The British drama: a collection of the most esteemed ...

Beg him to walk up — [Exit Servant.] Now, Mrs. Dangle, Sir Fretful Plagiary is an author to your own taste. Mrs. D. I confess he is a favourite of mine, because every body else abuses him. Sneer. Very much to the credit of your charity, Madam, ...

‎1850

The acting drama; containing 60 plays

Mr. Sneer, eir, to wait on you. Dan. O, show Mr. Sneer up. [Eiit Servant.] Plague ou't, now we must appear loving and affectionate, or Sneer will hitch us into a story. Mrs. D. With all my heart ; you can't be more ridiculous than you are. Van.

Acting drama, 1839

Reports of Cases at Law and in Equity Determined by the ...

or mother would have taken had such parents survived the said George Sneer. But in case of the death of said George S. Sneer and Minnie E. Sneer without leaving issue surviving before or at the time of the death of my said son, George ...

Iowa. Supreme Court, Nathaniel B. Raymond, Benjamin I. Salinger, 1897

Cyclopaedia of English literature

Sneer. I believe you have reason for what you say, indeed. Sir P. Besides, I can tell you, it is not always so •afe to leave a play in the hands of those who write themselves. Sneer. What ! they may steal from them I eh, my dear Plagiary !

Robert Chambers, 1856

Cyclopædia of English Literature: A Selection of the ...

Sneer. What ! they may steal from them 1 eh, my dear Plagiary ! Sir P. Steal! to be sure they may; and, egad! serve your best thoughts as gipsies do stolen children, disfigure them to make 'em pass for their own. Sneer. But your present work is ...

Robert Chambers, Robert Carruthers, 1847

The Modern British Drama: In Five Volumes

Sir F. You make me extremely happy ; for, without a compliment, my dear Sneer, there isn't a man in the world whose judgment I value as I do your's, and Mr. Dangle's. Mrt. D. They are only laughing at you, Sir Fretful; for it was but just now that ...

Sir Walter Scott, 1811

Stop Staring: Facial Modeling and Animation Done Right

Inclusion The Sneer's main area of influence is along the base and sides of the nose, as in Figure 6.77. Ifyou intend to use this shape to create the Scowl at animation time, it's not required but it's a nice touch to include the area up on top of the ...

Jason Osipa, 2010

Chamber's Cyclopaedia of English Literature

Sneer. You never did anything beyond it, Sir Fretful ; never in your life. Sir F. You make me extremely happy ; for, without a compliment, my dear Sneer, there isn't a man in the world whose judgment I value as I do yours ; and Mr Dangle's.

Robert Chambers, David Patrick, 1910

Cyclopædia of English literature

Sneer. What ! they may steal from them ? eh, my , dear Plagiary i SirF. Steal! to be sure they may; and, egad! serve your best thoughts as gipsies do stolen children, disfigure them to make 'em pass for their own. Sour. But your present work is a ...

Robert Chambers, 1844

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «SNEER»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term sneer is used in the context of the following news items.

Service with a sneer these days

... name and number, I'll get him to phone you as soon as he returns.” Service with a sneer, it appears, is here to stay. JOHN GARDENER. NEXT ON NEWS24X ... «News24, Jun 15»

Films of Jon Moritsugu, Upending Stereotypes With a Wig and a Sneer

When the ABC sitcom “Fresh Off the Boat” was being hailed this winter as a breakthrough in the presentation of Asian-Americans on screen, one constant ... «New York Times, Jun 15»

Who are tourists to sneer at refugees?

It's funny how tiny we think the problem of migration is, really. There are currently 50 million people displaced by war – the most people in transit since the ... «The Times, Jun 15»

Even the Tory benches are tiring of Cameron's chorus of gloats and …

“Gloat, gloat, sneer, sneer,” Gloating Dave had sneered in answer to Harriet ... Even Harman, who was so surprised not to have been sneered at that she could ... «The Guardian, Jun 15»

Clarkson hits new Withering Heights: Top sneer at TV Brontes show

SACKED Top Gear star Jeremy Clarkson has taken a cheeky swipe at the BBC for failing to find another blockbuster TV show. By Helene Perkins / Published ... «Daily Star, May 15»

Creep or Keep- Simon Sneer Eliminates Beverly Weird

Tunnel Bar is a modern day craft cocktail lounge located upstairs from Tipple & Brine in Downtown Sherman Oaks. Inside Tunnel Bar you will find a brick replica ... «KTLA, May 15»

Small-town tech hub sneers at you, because it thinks you sneer at it

In it, a young woman explains with something of a sneer -- or perhaps outre Midwestern humor -- that you are a closed-minded, self-important, patronizing ... «CNET, May 15»

Literati Sneer at Hebdos Graves

Writers condemning PEN America's free speech award to Charlie Hebdo because of its alleged Islamophobia disregard the right to draw cartoons—even ones ... «Daily Beast, Apr 15»

Know your English — What is the difference between 'sneer' and …

What is the difference between 'sneer' and 'jeer'? (V.S. Niranjana, Chennai). When you 'sneer' or 'jeer' at an individual, you are being very rude to him. A 'sneer' ... «The Hindu, Apr 15»

Jeremy Clarkson is brave in opening up. So don't sneer at him

After five long weeks where the general public demanded Jeremy Clarkson explain himself over the Top Gear fisticuffs saga, finally, he did. And then we told him ... «The Independent, Apr 15»