sneer

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

sneer, v. i. [OE. sneren, Dan. snrre to snarl or grin (like a dog); cf. Prov. E. sneer to grin, sner to snort, snert to sneer at. See Snore, v. i.].

•  To show contempt by turning up the nose, or by a particular facial expression.  [1913 Webster]
•  To inssinuate contempt by a covert expression; to speak derisively.  [1913 Webster]

  "I could be content to be a little sneared at."  [1913 Webster]
•  To show mirth awkwardly.  Tatler.  [1913 Webster]

  "And sneers as learnedly as they,
  Like females o'er their morning tea."  [1913 Webster]

  "Midas, exposed to all their jeers,
  Had lost his art, and kept his ears."  [1913 Webster]

  "The fop, with learning at defiance,
  Scoffs at the pedant and science."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- To scoff; gibe; jeer.

sneer, v. t. 

•  To utter with a grimace or contemptuous expression; to utter with a sneer; to say sneeringly; as, to sneer fulsome lies at a person.  Congreve.  [1913 Webster]

  "“A ship of fools,” he sneered."  [1913 Webster]
•  To treat with sneers; to affect or move by sneers.  [1913 Webster]

  "Nor sneered nor bribed from virtue into shame."  [1913 Webster]

sneer, n. 

•  The act of sneering.  [1913 Webster]
•  A smile, grin, or contortion of the face, indicative of contempt; an indirect expression or insinuation of contempt.  Raley.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

sneer, n. & v.
--n. a derisive smile or remark.
--v.
1 intr. (often foll. by at) smile derisively.
2 tr. say sneeringly.
3 intr. (often foll. by at) speak derisively esp. covertly or ironically (sneered at his attempts).

Derivative

sneerer n. sneeringly adv.

Etymology

16th c.: orig. unkn.

THESAURUS

sneer

barrack, be above, be contemptuous of, care nothing for, chaff, contemn, contempt, cut, cut at, cut direct, deride, derision, despise, dig at, disdain, disparage, disprize, disregard, dump on, feel contempt for, feel superior to, fleer, flout, gibe, gird, grin, hold beneath one, hold cheap, hold in contempt, humiliation, insult, jab, jab at, jape, jeer, jeer at, jeering, jest, knock, laugh at, leer, look down upon, misprize, mock, mockery, pooh, pooh-pooh, put down, quip, rail at, rally, rank low, rank out, rebuff, repulse, revile, ridicule, sardonic grin, scoff, scorn, scornful laugh, scout, set at naught, slam, slap at, slight, smile, smirk, sneer at, sneering, sneeze at, snicker, sniff, sniff at, snigger, snort, snort at, snub, spurn, spurning, swipe, taunt, the cold shoulder, the go-by, think nothing of, twit, underrate

ROGET THESAURUS

sneer

Disrespect

N disrespect, disesteem, disestimation, disparagement irreverence, slight, neglect, spretae injuria formae, superciliousness, vilipendency, vilification, contumely, affront, dishonor, insult, indignity, outrage, discourtesy, practical joking, scurrility, scoffing, sibilance, hissing, sibilation, irrision, derision, mockery, irony, sarcasm, hiss, hoot, boo, gibe, flout, jeer, scoff, gleek, taunt, sneer, quip, fling, wipe, slap in the face, disrespectful, aweless, irreverent, disparaging, insulting, supercilious, contemptuous, patronizing, rude, derisive, sarcastic, scurrile, scurrilous, contumelious, unrespected, unworshiped, unenvied, unsaluted, unregarded, disregarded, disrespectfully.

VB hold in disrespect, misprize, disregard, slight, trifle with, set at naught, pass by, push aside, overlook, turn one's back upon, laugh in one's sleeve, be disrespectful, be discourteous, treat with disrespect, set down, put down, browbeat, dishonor, desecrate, insult, affront, outrage, speak slightingly of, disparage, vilipend, vilify, call names, throw dirt, fling dirt, drag through the mud, point at, indulge in personalities, make mouths, make faces, bite the thumb, take by the beard, pluck by the beard, toss in a blanket, tar and feather, have in derision, hold in derision, deride, scoff, barrack, sneer, laugh at, snigger, ridicule, gibe, mock, jeer, hiss, hoot, taunt, twit, niggle, gleek, gird, flout, fleer, roast, turn into ridicule, burlesque, laugh to scorn, smoke, fool, make game of, make a fool of, make an April fool of, play a practical joke, lead one a dance, run the rig upon, have a fling at, scout, mob.

Contempt

N contempt, disdain, scorn, sovereign contempt, despisal, despiciency, despisement, vilipendency, contumely, slight, sneer, spurn, by-word, despect, contemptuousness, scornful eye, smile of contempt, derision, despisedness, contemptuous, disdainful, scornful, withering, contumelious, supercilious, cynical, haughty, bumptious, cavalier, derisive, contemptible, despicable, pitiable, pitiful, despised, downtrodden, unenvied, unrespectable (unworthy), contemptuously, Int, a fig for, bah!, never mind!, away with!, hang it!, fiddlededee!, a dismal universal hiss, the sound of public scorn, I had rather be a dog and bay the moon than such a.

Disapprobation

N disapprobation, disapproval, improbation, disesteem, disvaluation, displacency, odium, dislike, dispraise, discommendation, blame, censure, obloquy, detraction, disparagement, depreciation, denunciation, condemnation, ostracism, black list, animadversion, reflection, stricture, objection, exception, criticism, sardonic grin, sardonic laugh, sarcasm, insinuation, innuendo, bad compliment, poor compliment, left-handed compliment, satire, sneer, taunt, cavil, carping, censoriousness, hypercriticism, reprehension, remonstrance, expostulation, reproof, reprobation, admonition, increpation, reproach, rebuke, reprimand, castigation, jobation, lecture, curtain lecture, blow up, wigging, dressing, rating, scolding, trimming, correction, set down, rap on the knuckles, coup de bec, rebuff, slap, slap on the face, home thrust, hit, frown, scowl, black look, diatribe, jeremiad, jeremiade, tirade, philippic, clamor, outcry, hue and cry, hiss, hissing, sibilance, sibilation, catcall, execration, chiding, upbraiding, exprobation, abuse, vituperation, invective, objurgation, contumely, hard words, cutting words, bitter words, evil-speaking, bad language, personality, disapproving, scandalized, disparaging, condemnatory, damnatory, denunciatory, reproachful, abusive, objurgatory, clamorous, vituperative, defamatory, satirical, sarcastic, sardonic, cynical, dry, sharp, cutting, biting, severe, withering, trenchant, hard upon, censorious, critical, captious, carping, hypercritical, fastidious, sparing of praise, grudging praise, disapproved, chid, in bad odor, blown upon, unapproved, unblest, at a discount, exploded, weighed in the balance and found wanting, blameworthy, reprehensible, to blame, worthy of blame, answerable, uncommendable, exceptionable, not to be thought of, bad, vicious, unlamented, unbewailed, unpitied, with a wry face, reproachfully, Int, it is too bad!, it won't do, it will never do!, marry come up!, Oh!, come!, 'sdeath!, forbid it Heaven!, God forbid, Heaven forbid!, out upon, fie upon it!, away with!, tut!, O tempora!, O mores!, shame!, fie, fie for shame!, out on you!, tell it not in Gath!.