snarky en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈsnɑː.ki/ (UK)
- /ˈsnɑɹ.ki/ (US)
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
From snark + -y; 1906, as “irritable”, from snark (“to snort”), by onomatopoeia (1866). Compare Low German snarken (“to snore”), North Frisian snarke, Swedish snarka. In the sense “sarcastic” popularized in the late 1990s.
Meanings
-
(humorous, informal, often) Snide and sarcastic; usually out of irritation.
In spite of its inherent banality, and because my editors let me relieve my dyspepsia by writing snarky captions, it is regularly one of the more popular destinations on the Globe and Mail website.
2011 October 19, “You may know me as a snarky caption writer whose work went viral”, in The Guardian:
-
(obsolete) Irritable, irritated.
'E barks. "I'll do me work meself, yeh 'ear?" An' then 'e gits so snarky that I clear.
1918, C. J. Dennis, “Dad”, in Digger Smith:'I hate you,' she said briefly, and Philip understood. 'I couldn't help it,' he said; 'I did want to do something by myself.' And Lucy understood. 'And besides,' he said, 'I was coming back for you. Don't be snarky about it, Lu.
1910, E. Nesbit, chapter 12, in The Magic City:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| snarkiest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| snarkier | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Deriveds
snarkcastic · snark · snarkiness · snarkism · snarkily
Synonyms
Translations (41)
fo argur (sarcastic and irreverent) · de abfällig (sarcastic and irreverent) · ru е́дкий (sarcastic and irreverent) · pl kąśliwy (sarcastic and irreverent) · de beißend (sarcastic and irreverent) · nl grievend (sarcastic and irreverent) · nl bijtend (sarcastic and irreverent) · de bissig (sarcastic and irreverent) · ru ко́лкий (sarcastic and irreverent) · pt ranzinza (sarcastic and irreverent) · ru язви́тельный (sarcastic and irreverent) · fo ilskur (sarcastic and irreverent) · nl sarcastisch (sarcastic and irreverent) · sv spydig (sarcastic and irreverent) · fi äkäinen (sarcastic and irreverent) · de spöttelnd (sarcastic and irreverent) · sv dryg (sarcastic and irreverent) · hu becsmérlő (sarcastic and irreverent) · es vivaracho (sarcastic and irreverent) · gl mordaz (sarcastic and irreverent) · hu szarkasztikus (sarcastic and irreverent) · pt debochado (sarcastic and irreverent) · fi vinoileva (sarcastic and irreverent) · ru ехидный (sarcastic and irreverent) · pl cięty (sarcastic and irreverent) · hu gúnyos (sarcastic and irreverent) · de maliziös (sarcastic and irreverent) · fo bitutur (sarcastic and irreverent) · el σαρκαστικός (sarcastic and irreverent) · gl burleiro (sarcastic and irreverent) · cs jízlivý (sarcastic and irreverent) · hu gunyoros (sarcastic and irreverent) · es mordaz (sarcastic and irreverent) · la dicax (sarcastic and irreverent) · el δηκτικός (sarcastic and irreverent) · fi sarkastinen (sarcastic and irreverent) · lt kandus (sarcastic and irreverent) · nl oneerbiedig (sarcastic and irreverent) · de sarkastisch (sarcastic and irreverent) · hu bántó (sarcastic and irreverent) · hu gúnyolódó (sarcastic and irreverent)