Pronunciation: /ˈsnɪvəl/

Definitions of snivel

noun a complaint uttered in a whining or tearful way

Example Sentences

A1 She let out a little snivel when she stubbed her toe.

A2 The child's snivel could be heard from across the room.

B1 His constant snivel about the weather was starting to annoy his friends.

B2 The snivel of the spoiled celebrity was met with eye rolls from the audience.

C1 The politician's snivel about unfair treatment fell on deaf ears.

C2 The snivel of the entitled customer was quickly shut down by the manager.

verb to cry and sniffle in a feeble or fretful way

Example Sentences

A1 She sniveled when she didn't get her way.

A2 The child sniveled after falling and scraping his knee.

B1 He sniveled about having to do extra work on the project.

B2 The player sniveled to the referee about the unfair call.

C1 Despite the setback, she refused to snivel and instead focused on finding a solution.

C2 The politician's opponents accused him of sniveling to gain sympathy from the public.

Examples of snivel in a Sentence

formal She couldn't help but snivel as she recounted the tragic events of the past week.

informal Stop your sniveling and just deal with the situation like an adult.

slang I can't stand it when people snivel about every little thing.

figurative The old house seemed to snivel in the cold wind, its creaks and groans like quiet sobs.

Grammatical Forms of snivel

past tense

sniveled

plural

snivels

comparative

more sniveling

superlative

most sniveling

present tense

snivels

future tense

will snivel

perfect tense

have sniveled

continuous tense

is sniveling

singular

snivel

positive degree

snivel

infinitive

to snivel

gerund

sniveling

participle

sniveling

Origin and Evolution of snivel

First Known Use: 1250 year
Language of Origin: Middle English
Story behind the word: The word 'snivel' originated from the Middle English word 'snyvele', which is related to the Old English word 'snyflung' meaning 'mucus'.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'snivel' evolved to not only refer to nasal mucus but also to describe someone who cries or complains in a whining or self-pitying manner.