snob

/snɒb/ (bre, ipa) · /snɑːb/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsnäb/ (ame, mw)

snob — noun

  • snobsingular
  • snobsplural

1. A person who admires and wants to be accepted by people they consider socially s

1.名詞B1
釋義

A person who admires and wants to be accepted by people they consider socially superior, while ignoring or treating as unimportant anyone they see as being from a lower social class.

例句

Mei-Lin refused to talk to anyone who did not attend the same private school, earning a reputation as a terrible snob.

countable noun with indefinite article: a + snob

When Diego's new neighbour arrived in an old pickup truck, he barely said hello — his friends called him a snob.

同義詞
  • elitist

    Broader term that can describe a person, policy, or system that favours a select group; 'snob' is more personal and informal.

  • social climber

    Someone who actively tries to move into a higher social class, often by courting influential people; a snob may already feel superior rather than striving upward.

反義詞
  • egalitarian

    A person who believes all people are equal and should have equal rights, regardless of social class.

文法句型

snob + about + noun phrase

a + social/cultural/snob

用法筆記

The focus of this sense is social hierarchy. A snob may be wealthy or not — the key trait is their attitude of looking down on people they perceive as lower in social standing.

常見錯誤

❌He is snob to his classmates.
✅He acts like a snob toward his classmates.
💡Snob is a countable noun, not an adjective; use the adjective 'snobbish' or the noun phrase 'a snob'.
❌She is a snob of classical music.
✅She is a snob about classical music.
💡The preposition is 'about', not 'of'.

2. A person who believes their own opinions about a particular subject — such as ar

2.名詞B1
釋義

A person who believes their own opinions about a particular subject — such as art, food, music, or language — are more refined than other people's, and rejects anything they consider ordinary, popular, or low-quality.

例句

Elena turned down the homemade cake because the flour was not organic, which made her seem like a food snob.

compound noun: food snob

Kenji is a wine snob who refuses to drink anything that costs less than thirty dollars a bottle.

同義詞
  • purist

    Someone who insists on strict traditional rules or standards in a field; less personal and less negative than snob.

  • connoisseur

    An expert with refined taste — a positive term; snob carries disapproval and implies arrogance.

反義詞
  • philistine

    A person who does not appreciate or understand art, culture, or intellectual matters — the opposite extreme.

文法句型

[field] + snob

snob + about + noun phrase

用法筆記

This sense is very productive in forming compound nouns: wine snob, food snob, grammar snob, art snob, coffee snob, film snob, etc. The preceding noun tells the reader what domain the person claims superior judgment in.

常見錯誤

❌I am a snob in wine.
✅I am a wine snob.
💡Use the compound noun form with the field before 'snob', not the preposition 'in'.