to be a snob
4
7.5
- idiom
- Offensive
:
ser snob
- Now, don't be a snob.
- thought I was a snob
- said he was a snob
Examples
-
He is a snob, loathing his own snobbery.
Blog text (29) -
She decided not to be a snob and invited her friends from different backgrounds to the party.
-
You know, James is a snob.
-
Do not be a snob.
-
Don't be a snob, uncle.
-
"I think you're being a snob," he said.
Fiction book (1996) -
So don't be a snob.
Blog text (2) -
I'm a snob.
-
You're a snob.
-
It's frustrating when you act like you're better than everyone else; please don't be a snob.
Synonyms
52
7.0
To treat someone as if you are better or smarter than them
7
7.8
To act as if you are better than other people and make them feel small
7
8.2
Treat someone as if you are better than them
Talk to someone in a way that shows you feel better than them
Antonyms
How Arrogant
14
8.1
260
4.5
1
8.1
- Offensive
4
7.5
1
6.7
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: the copula 'be' plus the noun 'snob' yields 'to have the qualities of a snob' and the indefinite article 'a' does not change meaning. This structure and sense are straightforward and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the word 'snob' will readily understand the expression.
Etymology
Be a snob comes from the image of someone who literally 'looks down' on other people and acts like they are better. So it means 'to behave in an unfriendly or superior way because you believe you belong to a higher social class or have better taste than others'.