Home US English snigger

Definition of snigger in English:

snigger

Pronunciation /ˈsniɡər/ /ˈsnɪɡər/

Translate snigger into Spanish

intransitive verb

[no object]

  • Laugh in a half-suppressed, typically scornful way.

    ‘the boys at school were sure to snigger at him behind his back’
    • ‘“Doesn't he look like a fool?” they sniggered’
    • ‘Felicity took one look at old Mrs. Briney and burst out laughing, sniggering and pointing at her.’
    • ‘His friends sniggered with disbelief when he said was no longer using any drugs at all.’
    • ‘So I turned around to see all of Conners friends pointing and sniggering at me.’
    • ‘Sabrina's three friends sniggered and Sabrina stuck her tongue out.’
    • ‘A group of fisherman passed behind him and sniggered.’
    • ‘Everyone sniggered behind his back for his lack of personality.’
    • ‘I looked above them to see everyone else that was in the library sneering and sniggering at me.’
    • ‘A few people sniggered and he smirked, balancing his blazer on the other arm, fully aware of his authority.’
    • ‘They smiled to his face, shook his hand, acted impressed, wished him well, and went away sniggering behind his back.’
    • ‘He began to laugh, and some of the henchmen sniggered too.’
    • ‘She sniggered and the rest of them laughed along.’
    • ‘He lifted his shirt to show his muscles and later in the programme, sniggered that this was the ‘best health club’ around.’
    • ‘I heard the class snigger as I buried my head under my arms.’
    • ‘To his left, he saw and heard the two youngest of his team snigger, but a steely glare wiped the smug look from their faces.’
    • ‘The three of them smiled and gave each other knowing glances, sniggering quietly.’
    • ‘The assembled news pack sniggered quietly as the school ma'am got her just deserts.’
    • ‘I was still sniggering quietly when something slimy hit me in the head.’
    • ‘Kenny sniggered softly, but Jason shot his younger brother an annoyed look.’
    • ‘She sniggered softly, as if she'd never heard anything more ridiculous in her life.’
    • ‘I sniggered again, but didn't comment.’
    give a suppressed laugh, snicker, sneer, smirk, simper
    View synonyms

noun

  • A half-suppressed, typically scornful laugh.

    ‘we heard the sniggers caused by their little jokes’
    • ‘This version is puerile, including jokes that could hardly have raised a snigger when first heard and turns of speech abandoned for over a generation.’
    • ‘Having been a dedicated smoker for many years now, I was headed downstairs for a cigarette, when I heard quiet sniggers in the stairwell.’
    • ‘The other girls on the team just stare at me, while I hear a deep snigger somewhere in the background.’
    • ‘But because of our sniggers and our sneers, we overlooked two rather surprising corollaries to this glamour business.’
    • ‘It's played for laughs, or should that be sniggers?’
    • ‘Their sniggers and smirks would come to a halt when they would then discover that their hands were empty.’
    • ‘There were sniggers and giggles all around the room and then everyone started talking.’
    • ‘I hear the beginning of a snigger in the back of the classroom.’
    • ‘We started to laugh again, muffling our sniggers with our mittened hands.’
    • ‘But unlike in ordinary life, their tales of downfall are not treated with sniggers; they're treated with awe, a certain kind of humility, and sympathy and understanding.’
    • ‘When I announced at training that my car had been stolen, there were a few sniggers.’
    • ‘There were a few sniggers but it just sounded as though we were crying.’
    • ‘A couple of women get self-conscious about the terrible silence and attempt to fill it with nervous sniggers.’
    • ‘If anyone speaks to them, they look sideways at one another and stifle their sniggers.’
    • ‘Even if it does all end in sniggers, at least you can say you weren't afraid to try.’
    • ‘I fought to keep from rolling my eyes, and I felt Gabriel stifle a snigger next to me.’
    • ‘You can imagine the silence, broken perhaps by a stifled snigger, that met that suggestion.’
    • ‘I woke up to the sound of stifled sniggers.’
    • ‘There were a few sniggers from the back, which soon became open laughter.’
    • ‘There was a shocked silence followed by a few sniggers from the commentary box.’
    suppressed laugh, snicker, sneer, smirk, simper
    View synonyms

Origin

Early 18th century later variant of snicker.