Definition

Snide refers to a remark or comment that is derogatory, sarcastic or insulting in nature, often made in a sneaky or snobbish way.

Pronunciation

US English

UK English

Part of Speech

Adjective.

Synonyms

sarcastic, mocking, sneering, sardonic, derisive, taunting, disparaging, belittling, insulting, contemptuous.

Antonyms

genuine, sincere, honest, unpretentious, straightforward, respectful, complimentary, flattering, benevolent, kind.

Word Forms

Part of Speech Words
Noun None
Verb None
Adjective snide
Adverb snidely

Example Sentences

  • Sarah caused a stir by making a snide comment about the host’s cooking skills in front of everyone.

  • The manager’s snide remarks about the interns made them feel unwelcome and undervalued in the workplace.

  • Joe’s snide sense of humor often rubbed his colleagues the wrong way and left them feeling offended.

  • It’s not worth stooping to someone’s level and responding to their snide remarks with equally snarky comments.

Usage

The word snide is often used to describe remarks or comments that are derogatory, critical, or sarcastic in nature. It can also refer to someone who is being sneaky or dishonest. Snide comments may be made to belittle or insult others, to express disapproval or disdain, or to be deliberately hurtful.

One of the variations of the word snide is the adjective form snidey, which has the same meaning as snide. It’s often used to describe someone’s demeanor or behavior, especially when they’re being deceitful or manipulative.

The word snide is believed to have been derived from the Old Norse word ‘snyða’, which means to cut off or sneer. The addition of the ’d’ sound in snide might have been influenced by the word ‘snip’, which means to cut off in English.

Snide can take various prefixes and suffixes to form different words with slightly different meanings. For example, adding the prefix ‘un-’ to snide creates the word unsnide, which means straightforward and genuine. Suffixes like ‘-ness’ and ‘-ish’ can be added to snide to create new words like snideness and snideish, respectively.

In conclusion, the word snide is widely used to describe derisive, sarcastic, or mocking remarks or comments. It can also be used to refer to someone who’s being sneaky or dishonest. Variations of the word snide, such as snidey, unsnide, snideness, and snideish, are often used to describe related qualities and behaviors.