Skip to main content
snot-nosed

snot-nosed

1 8.6
Having a runny nose with snot on the face
  • adjective
  • /ˈsnɑtˌnoʊzd/
  • Informal
translation icon : mocoso
  • Little bitty snot-nosed children sing.
  • snot-nosed kid

Examples

  • Halloween was a very big deal back when I was a snot-nosed youth in a tight-sphinctered suburban neighborhood.

    Blog text (22)
  • I gaze down at my feet, then up at the snot-nosed child.

    Academic text (2007)
  • When I was a snot-nosed kid, I would always get into trouble.

  • The snot-nosed children laughed and played in the park all day.

  • I remember the snot-nosed kids from my neighborhood running around in the summer.

Synonyms

snotty
vssnot-nosed
5 6.6

Covered with wet mucus from the nose

is the same meaning but often used for children
sniffly
vssnot-nosed
1 4.6

Having a runny nose and often making soft nose sounds because of a cold or allergy

focuses on visible nasal mucus rather than just a tendency to sniffle
snuffly
vssnot-nosed
6.1

Having a blocked or runny nose and making soft sniffing sounds

refers to visible nasal mucus rather than blocked nose with sniffles

Antonyms

9 3.5

Neat and tidy in appearance with clean clothes and neat hair

Surface Forms

snot-nosed positive

Morphology

snot-nosed = snot + nose (transparent) = snot + ed

The formation is a clear compound of 'snot' + 'nose' with an adjectival '-ed' meaning 'having snot on the nose', which is directly derivable by learners.

Etymology

Snot-nosed combines snot ('nose mucus') and nose to paint a picture of someone with a runny, dirty nose, especially a child. So it describes a person who actually has a messy, runny nose.