What does snitcher mean?
A snitcher is someone who tells on another person, often to avoid punishment or gain the approval of someone in authority. The related verb, to snitch, means to reveal information about another person’s actions. These uses are informal and generally carry negative connotations: they suggest disloyalty, betrayal, and a desire to benefit from another person’s trouble. The word is used in British and American English and can be especially common among children and young people, though adults may also use it casually. It is more openly derogatory than neutral words such as informant, though those terms can also imply someone reporting wrongdoing. In conversation, a snitcher might be criticized for being a tattletale or betraying a friend’s confidence. The word should not be confused with snatcher, which means someone who steals or abruptly grabs something.
An informal term for a person who informs on another person, especially to gain favor or avoid blame.
"The teacher suspected that one of the students was a snitcher."
Informal and usually disparaging.
To inform on another person or reveal their wrongdoing, especially in a disloyal or betraying way.
"I refused to snitch on my friends."
Informal; “snitch on” is especially common in British and American English.
The regular plural is “snitchers.”
"The group of snitchers was ignored by everyone else at school."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does snitcher come from?
The noun and verb are derived from the informal English verb snitch, meaning to inform or tattle. The verb’s origins are uncertain, although it has been attested in informal English for more than a century. The suffix -er forms snitcher from snitch, a productive pattern in English for naming an agent of an action.
Related word forms
How snitcher is actually used
Informal and usually disparaging. The word is common in everyday speech in both British and American English but may sound more childish or insulting than the more neutral terms informer or tattletale.
Easily confused with snitcher
A snitcher tells on someone, whereas a stitcher sews pieces of material together.
A snitcher is an informer, while a snatcher steals or grabs something.