sniff at something phrasal verb ( see also ↑ sniff )
1 . something is not to be sniffed at especially British English spoken used to say that something is good enough to be accepted or considered seriously:
An 8% salary increase is not to be sniffed at.
2 . to refuse something in a proud way, or behave as if something is not good enough for you:
He sniffed at my choice of restaurants and suggested his own favorite.