Snide
/snaɪd/noun
Derisively disparaging, mocking, or sneering in tone.
Did you know?Snide is first recorded in English from thieves’ cant and slang, likely tied to a Northern English dialect word meaning ‘mean, worthless, or shabby,’ which gave it that sharp, underhanded sneer today.
Etymological Timeline
19th Century
English
snide
“dishonest, counterfeit, shabby; later, contemptuously mocking”
19th Century
English dialect
snide
“mean, worthless, or shabby”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*snīdaną
“to cut, split, or snip”
Old English
OE
snīdan
“to cut, cut off, or shear”
Modern English
English
snide
“snarky, cutting, and contemptuous in tone”
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