snob: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Neutral to informal; commonly used in everyday conversation and commentary.
Quick answer
What does “snob” mean?
A person who believes their tastes, knowledge, or social status make them superior to others, and who looks down on or avoids people they consider inferior.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person who believes their tastes, knowledge, or social status make them superior to others, and who looks down on or avoids people they consider inferior.
More broadly, a person who is excessively proud of their tastes or knowledge in a specific area (e.g., wine, music, art) and is condescending towards those with different or less refined preferences.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The core meaning is identical. The word originated in the UK, closely tied to its class system, so historical and literary references are more frequent in British contexts.
Connotations
In the UK, stronger historical association with class pretension. In the US, often associated more with consumerism, niche tastes, and cultural elitism.
Frequency
Equally common in both dialects.
Grammar
How to Use “snob” in a Sentence
be a snobact like a snobconsider someone a snobsnob about [something]look down on someone like a snobVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “snob” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- (Rare/archaic) She was accused of snobbing her old friends from the neighbourhood.
American English
- (Rare/archaic) He snobbed the invitation, thinking the party would be beneath him.
adverb
British English
- (Derivative 'snobbishly') He spoke snobbishly about public transport.
American English
- (Derivative 'snobbily') She turned her nose up snobbily at the suggestion.
adjective
British English
- (As part of a compound) The club had a terribly snob appeal.
- (Derivative 'snobbish') His attitude was unbearably snobbish.
American English
- (As part of a compound) It's just another snob magazine for the elite.
- (Derivative 'snobby') Don't be so snobby about chain restaurants.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might appear in commentary on workplace culture or branding (e.g., 'The brand cultivates a snob appeal').
Academic
Used in sociology, cultural studies, and literary criticism to analyse social hierarchies and cultural consumption.
Everyday
Very common in personal descriptions and social commentary.
Technical
Not a technical term.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “snob”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “snob”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “snob”
- Confusing 'snob' with 'snub' (to insult by ignoring). A snob may snub someone, but the words are distinct.
- Using 'snobbish' (adj.) interchangeably as a noun ('He is a snobbish'). Correct: 'He is a snob' or 'He is snobbish'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Rarely. It is almost always derogatory. However, when used self-deprecatingly (e.g., 'I'm a grammar snob'), it lightly acknowledges one's own picky standards without serious malice.
They are closely related. 'Elitist' is more formal and often refers to a belief system that a select group deserves privileges. 'Snob' is more personal, describing someone's behaviour and attitude as condescending.
No, they are etymologically unrelated. 'Snub' comes from Old Norse, while the origin of 'snob' is uncertain (possibly from 'sine nobilitate', Latin for 'without nobility', abbreviated in 18th-century Cambridge). However, a snob often snubs people.
Yes, this is often called 'inverse snobbery' or being a 'reverse snob'—looking down on expensive, luxurious, or fashionable things as pretentious and championing the simple or cheap as morally superior.
A person who believes their tastes, knowledge, or social status make them superior to others, and who looks down on or avoids people they consider inferior.
Snob is usually neutral to informal; commonly used in everyday conversation and commentary. in register.
Snob: in British English it is pronounced /snɒb/, and in American English it is pronounced /snɑːb/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “snob value (the appeal of something because it is exclusive or fashionable)”
- “inverse snobbery/snob (disparaging what is conventionally considered superior)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a person with a turned-up NOSE who says 'S-NO-B' to people they think are beneath them.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOCIAL/CULTURAL HIERARCHY IS A LADDER (the snob is above others).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best describes a 'reverse snob'?