noun
snowflake
SNOH-flayk
noun
1
A single small crystal of falling snow, usually with six-sided symmetry.
"Under the microscope, no two snowflakes looked exactly alike."
2
Informal, often disapproving: someone seen as overly sensitive to criticism or offense.
"He dismissed the criticism by calling his critics snowflakes."
How to Use Snowflake
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishLiterally a tiny snow crystal; as slang, a dismissive label for someone considered easily offended.
When to use it
The slang sense is informal and often used as an insult in political or online arguments — it can come across as dismissive or inflammatory.
Common pairings
delicate snowflake
unique snowflake
Word Forms
snowflaked past tense, snowflakes plural, snowflakes singular
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Under the microscope, no two _____ looked exactly alike.