snivel
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snivel
- /ˈsnɪvəl/
Rhymes with -ɪvəl
Where it comes from
From Middle English snivelen, snevelen, snyvelen, snuvelen, from Old English *snyflan (attested in the verbal noun snyflung (“mucus”)), from Proto-West Germanic *snuflijan, related to Old English snofl (“mucus”), ultimately from the root of snout. Akin to sniff, snuff. Compare sniffle.
Cognate with Middle Low German snuffelen, snüffelen (“to sniff, smell”), Danish snøvle (“to sniffle, snivel”), Norwegian Nynorsk snuvla (“to sniffle, snivel”), Swedish snövla (“to sniffle, snivel”).
Compare typologically Russian сопе́ть (sopétʹ), сопля́ (sopljá) akinness.
verb snivels · sniveling · snivelling · sniveled · snivelled
-
To breathe heavily through the nose while it is congested with nasal mucus.
With stinking breath, swart-cheeks, and hanging chaps;
With wrinkled neck; and stooping as she goes,
With driveling mouth, and with a sniveling nose.
Similar: sniffle
-
To cry while sniffling; to whine or complain while crying.
Let things come to the Worst; when we have Overturned the Government;—Polluted the very Altar, with our MASTERS BLOOD—Cheated the Publick, &c. ’Tis but to Whine and Snivel to the People; tell them we were mis-led, by Cardinall Appetites;
Similar: beef, bellyache, bemoan, bitch, bleat, whimper, carp, chunter, complain, crab, croak, dump on
- To say (something) while sniffling or crying. This bye dialogue prevented my hearing what passed between the prisoner and Captain Thornton, but I heard the former snivel out, in a very subdued tone, “And ye’ll ask her to gang nae farther than just to shew ye where the MacGregor is?—Ohon! ohon!”
noun snivels
- The act of snivelling. So Parson Hugh, with Groan and Snivel Made half his Congregation drivel,
- Nasal mucus; snot. [A]nd if thou entreate me not the fayrer, (hope of amendment preventeth many ruines) truſt me, I will batter thy carrion to dirt, whence thou camſt, and ſquiſe thy braine to ſnivell whereof it was curdled; […]
Translations
Every language
verb to breathe heavily through the nose
| Português | fungar |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | tief einatmen, schniefen |
| Русский | сопе́ть sopétʹ, шмы́гать šmýgatʹ |
verb to whine or complain, whilst crying
| Español | lloriquear, gimotear |
|---|---|
| Français | pleurnicher, chialer colloquial |
| Deutsch | schniefen, schluchzen, flennen, pimmeln, pimpeln, winseln |
| Русский | ныть nytʹ, хны́кать xnýkatʹ |
noun nasal mucus; snot
| Español | moco |
|---|---|
| Français | morve |
| Română | muci |
| Русский | носова́я слизь nosovája slizʹ, со́пли sópli |
Talk about this word "snivel." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/snivel. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. snivel. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/snivel "snivel." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/snivel.Cite this
@misc{snivel_2026,
title = {snivel},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/snivel},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
