Meanings
comparative snider · superlative snidest
- Disparaging or derisive in an insinuative way.
Don't make snide remarks to me.
1 more example
You write your snide bullshit from a dark room because that's what the angry do nowadays. I was nice to you, don't torture me for it.
2010, Aaron Sorkin, The Social Network, spoken by Erica Albright (Rooney Mara) - Tricky; deceptive; false; spurious; contemptible.
I knew without studying them that the rings and the watch were snide, and the jewel a paste one; but they were damn fine counterfeits.
2002, Sarah Waters, chapter 1, in Fingersmith, London: Virago, →ISBN, part 1, page 191 more example
Have nothing to do with snide goods; let it be known throughout the world that the farmers and dairymen, yea, and those engaged in other industries in the great State of Illinois, produce only the best of everything in their lines, and we will be the last to feel the effects of over-production.
1890, Illinois State Dairymen's Association, Annual Report (volume 16, page 21)
plural snides
- countableAn underhanded, tricky person given to sharp practice; a sharper; a cheat.
- uncountableCounterfeit money.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveexpressive of contempt
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishsnythand“piercing (the heart), cold, biting”
- Englishsnide
Probably from a dialectal variant of snithe (“sharp, cutting, cold”). See snithe (adjective). Alternatively, possibly a metathetic corruption of Middle English snythand (“piercing (the heart), cold, biting”, literally and figuratively). More at snithe (verb). Compare typologically cutting, Russian ко́лкий (kólkij) (akin to коло́ть (kolótʹ)).
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian подигравателен, измамен
- подигравателен (podigravatelen)nasty, sarcastic
- измамен (izmamen)tricky, deceptive
- фалшив (falšiv)tricky, deceptive
Catalan sorneguer
- sorneguernasty, sarcastic
Czech jízlivý, uštěpačný
- jízlivýnasty, sarcastic
- uštěpačnýnasty, sarcastic
- posměšnýnasty, sarcastic
Danish spydig, drilsk
- spydignasty, sarcastic
- drilsknasty, sarcastic
- nedladendenasty, sarcastic
- sarkastisknasty, sarcastic
Dutch sarcastisch, snedig
- sarcastischnasty, sarcastic
- snedignasty, sarcastic
- heimelijktricky, deceptive
- bedrieglijktricky, deceptive
Finnish vihjaileva, ilkeämielinen
- vihjailevanasty, sarcastic
- ilkeämielinennasty, sarcastic
French sarcastique, trompeur
- sarcastiquenasty, sarcastic
- trompeurtricky, deceptive
German abfällig, verächtlich
- abfällignasty, sarcastic
- verächtlichnasty, sarcastic
- herabsetzendnasty, sarcastic
- spöttischnasty, sarcastic
- betrügerischtricky, deceptive
Hungarian rosszindulatú, bántó
- rosszindulatúnasty, sarcastic
- bántónasty, sarcastic
- becsmérlőnasty, sarcastic
- gúnyosnasty, sarcastic
- gunyorosnasty, sarcastic
- szarkasztikusnasty, sarcastic
- becstelentricky, deceptive
- tisztességtelentricky, deceptive
- csalótricky, deceptive
- hamistricky, deceptive
Icelandic illkvittinn, meinhæðinn
- illkvittinnnasty, sarcastic
- meinhæðinnnasty, sarcastic
- fyrirlítanlegurtricky, deceptive
Italian sarcastico, derisorio
- sarcasticonasty, sarcastic
- derisorionasty, sarcastic
- sprezzantenasty, sarcastic
- schernevolenasty, sarcastic
Māori whakatīkai, whakatakē
- whakatīkainasty, sarcastic
- whakatakēnasty, sarcastic
Portuguese sarcástico
- sarcásticonasty, sarcastic
Russian глумли́вый, насме́шливый
- глумли́вый (glumlívyj)nasty, sarcastic
- насме́шливый (nasméšlivyj)nasty, sarcastic
- язвительный (jazvitelʹnyj)nasty, sarcastic
- обма́нчивый (obmánčivyj)tricky, deceptive
Spanish socarrón
- socarrónnasty, sarcastic
Swedish spydig, nedsättande
- spydignasty, sarcastic
- nedsättandenasty, sarcastic
- insinuantnasty, sarcastic
Welsh coeglyd, gwawdlyd
- coeglydnasty, sarcastic
- gwawdlydnasty, sarcastic
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with snide
Anagrams
Cite this entry
snide. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/snide
“snide.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/snide. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “snide,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/snide.
Source: snide on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.