Word
snob
US/ˈsnɑb/
UK/snˈɒb/
Definition
n. a person who thinks they are better than others because they have 'better' taste or come from a higher social class.
n. a person who believes their tastes, knowledge, or social standing are superior and treats others as inferior.
Examples
“He is a total snob who only drinks expensive wine.”
“The local snob refused to speak to the new neighbors because they lived in a smaller house.”
“While some critics dismissed the film as a snob's attempt to elevate a simple genre, others argued it successfully bridged the gap between high and popular culture.”
Examples
simple
“He is a total snob who only drinks expensive wine.”
contextual
“The local snob refused to speak to the new neighbors because they lived in a smaller house.”
complex
“While some critics dismissed the film as a snob's attempt to elevate a simple genre, others argued it successfully bridged the gap between high and popular culture.”
Usage
Often used with a modifying noun to show a specific area of elitism, such as 'coffee snob' or 'music snob'.
Teaching tip
While originally about social class, modern usage usually refers to someone who is elitist about specific hobbies or lifestyle choices.
Etymology
Late 18th century dialectal English snob (“cobbler”), of unknown origin. Early senses of the word carried the meaning of "lower status"; it was then used to describe those seeking to imitate those of higher wealth or status. Folk etymology derives it from the Latin phrase sine nobilitate (“without nobility”), but early uses had no connection to this. The modern sense was popularized by William Makepeace Thackeray in The Book of Snobs (1848).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/snob