snub
Snub (verb) means to deliberately ignore or treat someone coldly, as an insult. Example: “She snubbed her old friend at the party by walking straight past her.”
How to use snub
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo coldly ignore or reject someone (or the insult itself); also describes a short, upturned nose.
Word forms
more snub comparative, snubbed past tense, snubbed past tense, snubs plural, snubs singular, snubs singular, most snub superlative
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Not being invited to the wedding felt like a real _____.
Etymology
From Middle English snubben, snibben (noun), either indigenous or from Old Norse snubba (“to curse, chide, snub, scold, reprove, rebuff, infringe”), from Proto-Germanic *snūbaną, *snūpaną. Related to English snip, snap, snape, sneap, to Old Norse sneypa (among more), to Proto-Germanic *snaupijaną. The original sense is visible in Nordic cognates, to an original sense of “pinching off” (→ “to repress, infringe”), really “snipping off” (Old Norse sneypa, Norwegian Nynorsk snøypa, Swedish snöpa, snoppa, snipa, snippa (“to pinch off, to squeeze off, to castrate”)), with nouns denoting “pinched end → point” (cf. Swedish snip (“snout, spout”), snibb (“lobe”)). Maybe distantly related to snoop (“be nosy”), to “pinched point” referencing snouts, i.e. the “pinched of point of the animal” (cf. Swedish snopp (“penis”)), then also maybe sniff. Compare Proto-Germanic *snabulaz; also English neb, nib (“beak, point”). Other cognate forms: Danish snubbe, snibbe, snibe, snippe, sneppe, snøbba; Swedish snebba, snåipa, snypa, snyppa.
Related words
Rhymes for snub
See all rhymes for snub →Frequently asked questions
What does “snub” mean?
The word “snub” means to deliberately ignore or treat someone coldly, as an insult. In plain terms, to coldly ignore or reject someone (or the insult itself); also describes a short, upturned nose.
How do you pronounce “snub”?
“Snub” is pronounced snuhb (/snʌb/ in IPA).
How do you use “snub” in a sentence?
Here is “snub” used in a sentence: “She snubbed her old friend at the party by walking straight past her.”
What part of speech is “snub”?
Depending on how it is used, “snub” can be a verb, a noun and an adjective.
How many meanings does “snub” have?
“Snub” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to deliberately ignore or treat someone coldly, as an insult.
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