Home UK English snivel

Meaning of snivel in English:

snivel

Pronunciation /ˈsnɪv(ə)l/

See synonyms for snivel

Translate snivel into Spanish

verbsnivels, snivelling, snivelled; US sniveling, sniveled

[no object]

  • 1Cry and sniff in a feeble or fretful way.

    ‘Kate started to snivel, looking sad and stunned’
    • ‘When they eventually troop off, and away, I blub and snivel for hours because the house is suddenly so terribly empty.’
    • ‘He glanced back at the pathetic shell of a man who stood in the middle of his living room, whimpering and snivelling.’
    • ‘Here I was, a blubbering heap, sniveling before these grand people…’
    • ‘She suddenly covered her face once more, sniveling and weeping into her hands.’
    • ‘I soon fell to sleep during my crying fit, exhausted from having sniveled and bawled the remainder of the day.’
    • ‘Say mummy, daddy, baby, love-you, dead, goodbye - and that's it, you've got the whole auditorium snivelling.’
    • ‘The youngest of the three had started snivelling.’
    • ‘I sighed, and snivelled, and a chill ran down my spine.’
    • ‘And they squeezed each other's backs and waists and snivelled.’
    • ‘She snivelled quietly but forced herself away from the idea of thinking any more about what this chance discovery meant.’
    • ‘No stupid ghost stories were going to reduce her to sniveling in the dark, not when she had a missing daughter to find or avenge.’
    • ‘He was sniveling, and looking like an over large baby crying on the pavement.’
    • ‘I sniveled, wiping my nose on the edge of the tablecloth.’
    • ‘Dion sniveled, half out of sorrow for himself, the other half simply out of fear.’
    • ‘Louise was sniveling a little, tears running down her cheeks.’
    sniffle, snuffle, run at the nose, have a running nose, have a runny nose
    View synonyms
    1. 1.1Complain in a whining or tearful way.
      ‘he shouldn't snivel about his punishment’
      • ‘Someone has to straighten these people out before all of our kids turn into sniveling, whining, spoiled brats.’
      • ‘After all the man had done for him, how could he whine and snivel and ask for more, dragging him down with demands?’
      • ‘I couldn't look at them, all I could do was whine and snivel and cry like a stupid, stupid baby.’
      • ‘They'll scream class warfare, but in light of the charges it starts to sound like sniveling defensiveness.’
      • ‘Why does everything have to be centred around that snivelling little brat?’
      • ‘You've never cared or had the ability to be sensitive before; stop your sniveling and go back to sleep.’
      • ‘And whatever you do, don't resort to any whining, snivelling, or whimpering tactics.’
      • ‘You can stay here and snivel all you want, but I'm not gonna let that brave girl die out there alone.’
      • ‘But don't do it because you expect to be rewarded for sniveling before His throne.’
      • ‘Daddy isn't supposed to snivel about how the locals didn't do their job.’
      • ‘I begged, pleaded and sniveled until he agreed to loan it to me for evaluation.’
      • ‘You can stay here sniveling about how much you're hurting.’
      • ‘Do you know how long it takes me to patrol sniveling, weak little undermen like you trying to find a general, captain, or anyone that can take a bit of leadership?’
      • ‘They're the ones who are sniveling, just because someone is actually using the service that they're offering.’
      complain, moan, mutter, grumble, grouse, groan, grouch, growl, carp, bleat, whine, object, make a fuss
      View synonyms

noun

  • An act or sound of snivelling.

    ‘Lucy's torrent of howls weakened to a snivel’
    • ‘Eric held back a reminiscent snivel, but the two voices heard it.’
    • ‘The snivel, therefore, from our mines to to jack up its delivery services is not only opportune but one which should be taken seriously.’
    • ‘There are certainly a few sniffs and snivels circulating the corridors of financial power in London, Tokyo and Frankfurt.’
    • ‘The television was on but she could still here Paige's snivels.’
    • ‘Slowly, the sobs turned into snivels as Clarissa gained control of herself.’
    • ‘Within the blink of an eye, the sword hilt had been lowered upon the back of her head, and she crumpled neatly into a pile unconscious without so much as a snivel.’
    • ‘Unfortunately, it never did, and she had to walk around enduring that constant pain without a single snivel.’
    • ‘It starts out with a bang, but after the initial fireworks, it can't seem to raise its level above a snivel.’
    • ‘I have ridden through tears- not just little drippy snivels, but real, gushing, bawling tears.’
    • ‘I don't think these things should be morbid and full of snivels, so I'd choose something with a bit of energy.’

Origin

Late Old English (recorded only in the verbal noun snyflung ‘mucus’), from snofl, in the same sense; compare with snuffle.