Word
snide
US/ˈsnaɪd/
UK/snˈaɪd/
Definition
adj. mean in an indirect, unpleasant way that tries to hurt or mock someone. You use it for comments or jokes that sound clever but feel unkind.
adj. marked by indirect contempt or mockery, often delivered through a cutting remark, joke, or tone of voice. Implies an intent to belittle while keeping a thin cover of humour or detachment.
Examples
“She makes a snide comment about my cooking.”
“He gives a snide smile when his coworker asks for help with the report.”
“Behind his snide jokes about her hometown lay a discomfort he never addressed directly, preferring mockery to honest conversation.”
Examples
simple
“She makes a snide comment about my cooking.”
contextual
“He gives a snide smile when his coworker asks for help with the report.”
complex
“Behind his snide jokes about her hometown lay a discomfort he never addressed directly, preferring mockery to honest conversation.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “snide” in context.
Verb
01. seem snide
“The headline may seem snide, but the article itself is fair.”
verb + adj
02. snide about
“He's always snide about his neighbours and their new car.”
adj + prep
Adjective
03. downright snide
“His review of her cooking was downright snide and completely unfair.”
adv + adj
04. rather snide
“His email reply sounded rather snide and upset the whole team.”
adv + adj
05. slightly snide
“Her tone was slightly snide when she congratulated me on the promotion.”
adv + adj
Noun
06. snide comment
“He made a snide comment about my accent during lunch.”
adj + noun
07. snide joke
“His snide joke about her dress embarrassed everyone at the table.”
adj + noun
08. snide remark
“She ignored his snide remark and continued with her presentation.”
adj + noun
09. snide tone
“Don't use that snide tone with me when I'm trying to help.”
adj + noun
10. in a snide tone
“'Nice haircut,' he said in a snide tone that made me blush.”
11. laced with snide humour
“His speech was laced with snide humour that upset many guests.”
12. make a snide remark
“He made a snide remark about her age in front of the clients.”
Real-World Examples
“Maybe that is as it should be: a free, rebellious spirit who infused economics with imagination but looked like a “tax man”, in the snide words of Strachey.” “As he set out to explain what he wasn’t trying to do, Carney couldn’t help but get in a snide shot.” “The posts elicited snide responses from Sam Altman , the OpenAI CEO, and began a spat between the two former business partners on X.” Etymology
Probably from a dialectal variant of snithe (“sharp, cutting, cold”). See snithe (adjective). Alternatively, possibly a metathetic corruption of Middle English snythand (“piercing (the heart), cold, biting”, literally and figuratively). More at snithe (verb). Compare typologically cutting, Russian ко́лкий (kólkij) (akin to коло́ть (kolótʹ)).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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