sneering

Word Origin & History

1550s, "to snort" (of horses), perhaps from North Frisian sneere "to scorn," related to Old English fnæran "to snort, gnash one's teeth," of imitative origin (cf. Danish snærre "to grin like a dog," Middle Dutch, Middle High German snarren "to rattle"). Meaning "to smile contemptuously" is from 1670s; sense of "to curl the upper lip in scorn" is attested from 1775. Related: Sneered; sneering. Sneer word is in E. Digby Baltzell (1987).

Example Sentences for sneering

The detective indulged himself in a cackle of sneering merriment.

Duvillard at last murmured, sneering, but in despair, "we'll arrange it all."

Daguenet scrutinized her slyly, sneering in his chaffing way.

Old Wilson was waving a paper over his head and laughing and sneering.

His grandfather was sneering at him once more; he was always sneering at him.

"It is true," he answered her, and there was a heavy, sneering curl on his upper lip.

Some fell to patronizing him, some to advising him, and some to sneering at the hubbub he was making.

"It seems you love that—whelp, that thing that was my brother," he said, sneering.

"I reckon you calculate about right, for you can't," was the sneering reply.

Had Feversham observed this he might have been less ready with his sneering answer.

sneering

ironical

mordacity

mordancy

more ironic

more ironical

more satiric

most ironic

most ironical

sneering

More words related to sneering

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ironic/ironical