I. sneer 1 /snɪə $ snɪr/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive and transitive]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Origin: Perhaps copying the action ]
to smile or speak in a very unkind way that shows you have no respect for someone or something:
‘Is that your best outfit?’ he sneered.
sneer at
She sneered at Tom’s musical tastes.
—sneering adjective :
a sneering tone
—sneeringly adverb
II. sneer 2 BrE AmE noun [countable]
an unkind smile or remark that shows you have no respect for something or someone:
‘You probably wouldn’t understand,’ he said with a sneer.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ different types of expression
▪ frown the expression on your face when you move your eyebrows together because you are angry, unhappy, or confused:
With a frown, she asked, ‘So what’s wrong with that?’
▪ smile an expression in which your mouth curves upwards, when you are being friendly or are happy or amused:
She gave him a quick smile.
▪ scowl an angry or disapproving expression:
There was a scowl of irritation on his face.
▪ glare a long angry look:
He gave her a furious glare, but said nothing.
▪ grimace an expression you make by twisting your face because you do not like something or because you are feeling pain:
His face twisted into a grimace of anguish.
▪ sneer an expression that shows you have no respect for something or someone:
‘That’s what you said last time,’ she said with a sneer.
▪ smirk an expression in which you smile in an unpleasant way that shows you are pleased by someone else’s bad luck or that you think you are better than other people:
He had a self-satisfied smirk on his face.
▪ pout an expression in which you push out your lower lip because you are unhappy that you did not get what you want:
‘You’re going away?’ she said with a pout.