Word
snipe
US/ˈsnaɪp/
UK/snˈaɪp/
Definition
v. to make a quick, mean comment about someone. It can also mean to shoot at someone from a hidden place far away.
v. to make a critical or mocking remark, typically in a sudden or indirect manner. Also refers to firing a shot from a concealed position at long range.
Examples
“They often snipe at each other during office meetings.”
“Political rivals often snipe at one another in the press rather than debating the actual policy details.”
“The columnists continued to snipe at the administration's failures, though their criticisms lacked the substantive data required to sway public opinion.”
Examples
simple
“They often snipe at each other during office meetings.”
contextual
“Political rivals often snipe at one another in the press rather than debating the actual policy details.”
complex
“The columnists continued to snipe at the administration's failures, though their criticisms lacked the substantive data required to sway public opinion.”
Usage
When meaning to criticize, it is intransitive and almost always takes the preposition 'at'.
Pitfall
He sniped his coworker's idea.
He sniped at his coworker's idea.
In the sense of verbal criticism, the verb is intransitive and requires the preposition 'at' before the target.
Real-World Examples
“I snipe from a distance, he finishes them off up close.” Etymology
From Middle English snipe, snype (a type of bird), from Old Norse snípa, as in mýrisnípa (“moor snipe”). Akin to Norwegian snipe. The verb originated in the 1770s among soldiers in British India where a hunter skilled enough to kill the elusive snipe was dubbed a "sniper". The term sniper was first attested in 1824 in the sense of the word "sharpshooter".
Probably from snip or a cognate
Either from sneap or a figurative development from Etymology 1.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Idioms
01. snipe hunt
- 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.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL 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: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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