snob
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snob
- /snɒb/ UK
- /snɔb/ British, Southern, Standard
- /snɑb/ US
Rhymes with -ɒb
Where it comes from
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).
noun snobs
- A person who wishes to be seen as a member of the upper classes or of some other elite (such as the masters of a certain craft) and who looks down on those perceived to have inferior or unrefined tastes, skills, etc. an insufferable snob
- A cobbler or shoemaker. The snobs were also kind to him, and gave him a pair of boots which they assured him were of a type and quality reserved entirely for officers […]
- A member of the lower classes; a commoner. 'D'ye know a slap-up sort of button, when you see it?' said the youth. 'Don't look at mine, if you ain't a judge, because these lions' heads was made for men of taste: not snobs.'
- A workman who works for lower wages than his fellows, especially one who will not join a strike (a scab).
-
A townsman, as opposed to a gownsman.
Similar: cad
Translations
Every language
noun person who seeks to be a member of the upper classes
| Español | esnob, fresa, pijo, pituco, siútico, snob |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | スノッブ sunobbu |
| 中文 | 勢利眼 /势利眼 shìlìyǎn |
| हिन्दी | नकचढ़ा nakcaṛhā |
| Português | esnobe, snobe |
| Français | snob |
| Deutsch | Snob, Wichtigtuer, Schnösel, Schickimicki |
| Italiano | snob |
| Ελληνικά | σνομπ snomp, ψηλομύτης psilomýtis, ακατάδεκτος akatádektos |
| Română | snob |
| Русский | сноб snob, зазна́йка zaznájka |
| العربية | مُتَعَالٍ mutaʕālin, المُتَعَالِي al-mutaʕālī |
| עברית | סנוב snob |
Talk about this word "snob." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/snob. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. snob. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/snob "snob." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/snob.Cite this
@misc{snob_2026,
title = {snob},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/snob},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
