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Glite Dictionary
😏 A mocking look 😏 To mockingly smile
to fleer

to fleer

1 9.9
To smile or laugh to show you do not respect someone
  • verb
  • /flɪr/
  • Archaic
translation icon : mofarse
  • The crowd began to fleer at the speaker when he made a silly mistake.

Examples

  • They offer not to fleer, nor jeer, nor break jests, as the great players do.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Dares that slave come hither to fleer and scorn at our solemnity?

    Romeo + Juliet (1996)

  • Her eyes turned milky opaque blue, the face changed to a laughing sardonic mask, black-checked with a fleering mouth.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • He could not help but fleer at the ridiculous suggestion his friend made.

  • During the debate, she could only fleer at his weak arguments.

Synonyms

to scoff
vsto fleer
57 6.5

To say or do things to show you do not respect someone

focuses more on a contemptuous facial smile or laugh rather than speech
to jeer
vsto fleer
  • Offensive
14 6.2

To laugh at someone and shout rude words to show you do not respect them

tends to be a contemptuous smile or laugh rather than shouted remarks
to snigger
vsto fleer
  • UK
4 6.8

To laugh quietly to make fun of someone

is a more obvious contemptuous smile or laugh, not a quiet sly one

How Mocking

to deride
26 7.8
to sneer
39 5.6
to fleer
  • Archaic
1 9.9
to smirk
35 4.4
to snicker
27 4.0

Surface Forms

fleer infinitive
fleered past
fleered past participle
fleering present participle
fleers third person singular

Etymology

Fleer comes from an old Middle English word fleren, which meant 'to laugh at' or 'to mock'. Think of it as the sharp, curling smile you make to show scorn, so to fleer is to smile or laugh to show scorn.