What does sneaker mean?
A sneaker is a comfortable, informal shoe, usually made with a flexible rubber or synthetic sole and a canvas, fabric, or leather upper. In contemporary English, the word most often refers to footwear worn for everyday activities, exercise, or casual fashion, and a single shoe is called a sneaker while more than one are sneakers. The word is especially common in American English, whereas British speakers frequently use trainers for similar shoes. Sneakers have also become important elements of popular culture, appearing in sport, music, street fashion, and collector communities. In older or more literary contexts, a sneaker can mean a person who moves or enters secretly, especially a thief. Thus, the modern dominant sense concerns footwear, while the older sense preserves the word's connection with the verb sneak.
nounA casual or athletic shoe with a flexible sole, traditionally made of canvas or similar material, and designed for comfortable everyday wear or sports. In older and more literary usage, a sneaker is someone who sneaks, especially a thief or someone who enters secretly.
- A casual or athletic shoe with a flexible sole, usually made of canvas or another lightweight material.
- A person who sneaks or moves secretly, especially a thief.
"He wore a pair of clean white sneakers to school."
"She laced up her sneakers before going for a run."
"The novelist's antagonist was a cunning sneaker who could enter buildings without being noticed."
The standard plural of sneaker is sneakers. In British English, trainers is a common alternative for the plural meaning athletic shoes.
"The shop sells sneakers in a wide range of sizes."
Sneakers began as practical footwear but became cultural symbols, turning an ordinary shoe into a canvas for personal style, sport, music, and identity.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of sneaker
The word sneaker is formed from sneak plus the agentive suffix -er, initially suggesting a person who sneaks. The sense for a soft-soled, informal shoe developed later and became dominant in ordinary modern usage. Sneak itself has Germanic roots, and related English forms include sneaky, sneakily, and sneakiness.
How sneaker is actually used
For the shoe, sneaker is informal and everyday, although it is also standard in sports and fashion contexts. British speakers often say trainers, while American English commonly uses sneakers. The person sense is chiefly literary or dated and can imply a thief or infiltrator.
Easily confused with sneaker
In British English, a trainer often means an athletic shoe similar to a sneaker, whereas sneaker is especially common in American English for a casual rubber-soled shoe.