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snooty

snooty

16 7.4
Acting as if you are better than other people
  • adjective
  • /ˈsnuːti/
translation icon : esnob
  • She always acts so snooty around people she considers less wealthy.
  • snooty waiter
  • snooty receptionist
  • snooty restaurant

There's a few reasons and it's not, again, not a Snooty thing at all.

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Examples

  • They seem a bit snooty.

  • They're so rich and snooty.

  • Do not get snooty with me, young lady.

  • Most Broadway leading men are very snooty about pictures.

  • Was it my fault that my parents trundled me off to a snooty private school?

    Fiction book (2000)
  • I hated the way she and her friends appeared to me: intelligent, snooty, hip.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • People imagine Oxford as snooty and posh.

    Academic text (2009)
  • I leave the store with my head held high, my shoulders back, a little snooty, though my heart beats furiously.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Well, old Bellwood is frightfully snooty.

  • I would rather hang out with a snooty New Yorker than a know-it-all better-than-you rube.

    Blog text (25)

Synonyms

arrogant
vssnooty
260 4.5

Behaving as if you are more important or better than other people

is similar but often stresses social snobbish attitude more than forcefulness
cocky
vssnooty
  • Informal
99 4.2

Being too confident and acting proud so other people dislike you

adds a snobbish, class-based attitude rather than mere bravado
smug
vssnooty
85 5.2

A person who feels too pleased with themselves in a way that annoys others

is closer to social snobbery rather than pride in achievements alone
pretentious
vssnooty
  • Offensive
74 7.3

Trying to seem more important or clever than you really are

is about genuine felt superiority rather than mainly putting on a show
condescending
vssnooty
65 7.4

Acting as if you are better than other people

expresses superiority too but often focuses on social status rather than tone
conceited
vssnooty
24 5.4

Thinking you are much better than other people

leans more toward snobbish social attitude rather than only self-regard
egotistical
vssnooty
  • Offensive
24 6.6

Seeing yourself as much more important than other people

is similar but places more emphasis on social superiority and snobbishness
stuck-up
vssnooty
  • Offensive
22 7.5

A person who thinks they are better than other people

covers the same superiority but may be less about social separation
snotty
vssnooty
  • Informal
16 7.8

Acting as if you are better than other people

is more about a refined snobbishness than coarse rude arrogance
snobby
vssnooty
  • Offensive
16 6.3

A person who thinks they are better than other people and looks down on them

is about personal arrogance expressed in a snobbish manner rather than only dislike
haughty
vssnooty
14 8.1

Acting proud and looking down on other people

is closer to social snobbishness rather than purely disdainful contempt
self-important
vssnooty
13 5.8

Acting as if you are better than other people

is more about looking down on others socially than just feeling important
snobbish
vssnooty
  • Offensive
7 5.3

Acting like you are better than other people because of their money or clothes

is more general arrogance rather than focused on social class differences
snot-nosed
vssnooty
  • Offensive
7 9.6

Having a rude, arrogant attitude often used to describe a child

is the adult social superiority sense rather than childish rudeness
supercilious
vssnooty
4 8.9

Acting as if you are better than other people

is more about general snobbishness than an openly scornful manner
egotistic
vssnooty
  • Offensive
1 7.2

Thinking you are more important than other people

is more about external social attitude of superiority than inner self-focus
toffee-nosed
vssnooty
  • Offensive
1 9.9

Acting as if you are better than other people

is similar but can be less affected and more generally arrogant
bigheaded
vssnooty
  • Offensive
1 6.7

Thinking you are better than other people and acting proud

tends to add a snobbish social tone beyond mere self-importance
1 8.8

Acting too proud and thinking you are better than others

is similar but often signals a more socially snobbish attitude
dicty
vssnooty
  • Offensive
9.9

Acting like you are better than other people

is the broader idea of acting superior without the informal slang tone
self-conceited
vssnooty
7.7

Thinking you are better than other people

is focused more on acting superior socially rather than pure vanity
uppish
vssnooty
8.8

Being very proud and acting like you are better than others

leans more toward socially shown superiority and snobbish behaviour

Antonyms

42 4.1

A person who is practical and sensible in a friendly, not showy way

20 5.8

A person or thing that is not proud and not showy

How Snooty

supercilious
4 8.9
haughty
14 8.1
stuck-up
  • Offensive
22 7.5
snooty
16 7.4
aloof
34 6.3

Surface Forms

snooty positive

Morphology

snooty = snoot (semi-transparent) = snoot + y

Formed by regular suffixation of '-y' to 'snoot', but the base 'snoot' is informal/slang and the semantic link (nose/attitude → snobbish) is not fully obvious to learners.

Etymology

Snooty comes from snoot, an old word for the 'nose', like snout. Think of someone who 'turns up their nose' at others. That's why snooty means acting 'superior' or 'snobbish'.