snicker

1 of 2

verb

snick·​er ˈsni-kər 

snickered; snickering ˈsni-k(ə-)riŋ 

intransitive verb

: to laugh in a covert or partly suppressed manner : titter

snickerer

ˈsni-kər-ər 

noun

snickery

ˈsni-k(ə-)rē 

adjective

snicker

2 of 2

noun

: an act or sound of snickering

Synonyms

Verb

• laugh
• smile
• sneer
• snigger

Noun

• belly laugh
• boff
• boffo
• boffola
• cachinnation
• cackle
• chortle
• chuckle
• giggle
• guffaw
• hee-haw
• horselaugh
• laugh
• laughter
• snigger
• titter
• twitter

Examples of snicker in a Sentence

Verb

he snickered at the puzzled look on her face

Noun

a snicker of derision when we heard their offer on the house

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

At the same time, there's something undeniably intoxicating about the pull of them being together, singing a song, snickering at inside jokes, making the kind of observations that only someone who has known you your whole life can. —Shania Russell, EW.com, 13 Dec. 2024

Miraculously, solutions that elude me behind a desk become crystal clear while cruising down the street avoiding eye contact with snickering neighbors.... Unlike jogging, which had become just another discipline to maintain, rollerblading has rekindled a sense of childlike wonder. —Curt Steinhorst, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024

Noun

Could anyone utter these lofty words today without courting a chorus of snickers, a social-media immolation? —George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024

Sugar might have caught its share of snickers when its big plot twist was revealed, but Colin Farrell is a huge movie star who carried that show, and that should be enough to give him the edge. —Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

1694, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1835, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

snicker

1 of 2 verb

snick·​er ˈsnik-ər 

snickered; snickering -(ə-)riŋ 

: to give a small and often mean or sly laugh

snicker

2 of 2 noun

: an act or sound of snickering