What does snob mean?
A snob is someone who believes their own tastes, knowledge, or social standing set them above other people and expresses that belief through condescension. The word is chiefly negative: describing someone as a snob suggests pretension, contempt, or an excessive concern with status. It may also identify a pretentious devotee of a particular luxury or field, as in “wine snob” or “film snob.” The related adjective “snobbish” describes the behavior more directly, while “snobbery” names the attitude or conduct itself. In contemporary usage, “snob” is generally informal and can be accusatory, though the severity of the criticism varies with context. It remains a familiar and useful term for distinguishing ordinary confidence in one's preferences from a broader habit of judging other people as socially or intellectually inferior.
nounA person who considers their tastes, knowledge, or social position superior to those of others and behaves condescendingly as a result. The term is usually disparaging and may also refer to someone who displays excessive interest in a particular luxury or specialist subject.
- A person who considers their tastes, knowledge, or social status superior to others and displays contempt for those judged inferior.
- A person who is excessively pretentious about a particular luxury, interest, or specialist subject.
"Her snobbish remarks about working-class customers alienated the entire staff."
"He dismissed the unfamiliar wine as vulgar, revealing himself as a snob."
"Some readers objected to the article's snobbish treatment of traditional music."
The regular plural is used when referring to multiple people regarded as snobs.
"The novel portrays the snobs of a prosperous provincial town with sharp irony."
The word's origin is famously obscure: despite confident attempts to trace it, “snob” remains an early-18th-century term with no securely established ancestor.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does snob come from?
“Snob” is attested from the early 18th century, but its precise origin is uncertain. No proposed ancestor is securely established, and many of the speculative explanations offered for the word are disputed. The term had become established in English for people who were perceived as ostentatious, pretentious, or condescending.
Related word forms
How snob is actually used
Usually informal and disparaging. It can sound more playful when attached to a specialist subject, as in “food snob,” but even then it generally implies snobbery or excessive affectation.
Easily confused with snob
A snob is a person regarded as superior or condescending, whereas a snub is chiefly an insulting remark or gesture, though it can also mean a short or abruptly refused action.