snober
/snɔ.be/
The English phrase "snub" translates to the French verb snober.
The verb snober means to slight, ignore or behave coldly toward. While snober is a verb meaning to snub, the noun snobisme refers to the behavior of snobbery. If you wish to describe a deliberate affront or slight as a noun, you can use camouflet.
Meaning: to slight, ignore, behave coldly toward (verb)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The past participle of snober is snobé. When using the second person plural present indicative form, use snobez.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /snɔ.be/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- While snober describes the act of snubbing, French speakers often use the expression faire le mort (to play dead) to describe ignoring someone's messages or calls.
- The verb snober is a linguistic 'loan' that traveled from English to French, rather than the other way around. While many people assume French influence English, in this case, the French adopted the English word.
- The term snobisme in France is often used to criticize people who blindly imitate foreign trends, particularly those from the UK or US, rather than just being elitist.
Examples in context
- Il est regrettable que vous ayez ignoré mon précédent courrierIt is regrettable that you ignored my previous letter
- Tu m'as snobé en public hier !You snubbed me in public yesterday!
- J'ai fait comme si de rien n'était lorsque nous nous sommes croisésI acted as if nothing happened when we crossed paths
- Il a voulu me snober devant tout le monde.He wanted to snub me in front of everyone.
- Elle ne cherche pas à snober ses collègues.She is not trying to slight her colleagues.
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are at a party.
- EmmaRegarde, Julie continue de me snober.Look, Julie continues to snub me.
- GabrielC'est étrange, elle a l'air très froide.That's strange, she seems very cold.
- EmmaJe ne comprends pas pourquoi elle me snobe.I don't understand why she is snubbing me.
- GabrielIgnore-la et viens danser avec moi.Ignore her and come dance with me.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “snub” translations and entries snober, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries snober, CC BY-SA 4.0.
