snooty, a.
(ˈsnuːtɪ)
[f. snoot n. + -y1.]
Supercilious, haughty, conceited; affecting superiority, snobbish; ‘highbrow’, ‘stuck-up’. Occas., irritable, short-tempered.
| 1919 A. Huxley Let. 12 Aug. (1969) 180 A very snooty cousin and a sporty one. 1922 S. Lewis Babbitt xx. 252, I didn't like..the snooty way you talked. 1931 E. Linklater Juan in Amer. ii. xvi. 172 She says you were kinda snooty with her. Tried to high-hat her. 1938 E. Bowen Death of Heart ii. vii. 303 Reproaches and rather snooty laughs were exchanged. 1940 in Harrison & Madge War begins at Home xiv. 379 They're quite snooty, because you don't buy anything else. 1947 ‘A. P. Gaskell’ in D. M. Davin N.Z. Short Stories (1953) 282, I was lucky to have a girl like Betty who was keen on football. Some of the girls used to go very snooty when the blokes couldn't take them to the Friday-night hops. 1955 E. Cadell Lark shall Sing v. 67 One of those snooty little cafés..run by bony gentlewomen. 1959 I. & P. Opie Lore & Lang. Schoolch. x. 178 A short-tempered person is spoken of as being..snappy, snooty (meaning easily irritated), and sharp-edged. 1960 O. Manning Great Fortune ii. 142 The English wives were a bit snooty with me. 1980 R. Barnard Death in Cold Climate vi. 60 You know how the English can say ‘Really?’—all cold and snooty. |