snort

1 of 2

verb

snorted; snorting; snorts

intransitive verb

1
a
: to force air violently through the nose with a rough harsh sound
b
: to express scorn, anger, indignation, or surprise by a snort
2
: to emit explosive sounds resembling snorts
3
: to take in a drug by inhalation through the nose

transitive verb

1
: to utter with or express by a snort
2
: to expel or emit with or as if with snorts
3
: to inhale (a drug) through the nose

snort

2 of 2

noun

1
: a drink of usually straight liquor taken in one draft
2
: an act or sound of snorting

Examples of snort in a Sentence

Verb The old dog snorted like a pig when it smelled food. She snorted at his suggestion that he could fix the sink himself. “Yeah, you're a writer, and I'm the King of Spain!” he snorted. Noun the snorts of a pig made a snort of derision at the lame suggestion
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The instructor reminds the class to be a buddy not a bully and everyone hears your dad snort. Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025 The revealed truth therein was that the band had been snorting truckloads of cocaine in between concerts, photo-ops, miscellaneous recording sessions with Johnny Depp, and ‘Cool Britannia’ press junkets, shaking hands with Tony Blair. Jesse Adams, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
Noun
The upgraded exhaust system is a delight, burbling happily at idle, accompanying acceleration with a happy snort. Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 6 Sep. 2025 Rapace’s response externalizes four different beats, from a snort to a tear, astonishment to anger. Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 27 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for snort

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English snorten, fnorten; akin to Old English fnora sneezing

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1786, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of snort was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Snort.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/snort. Accessed 24 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

snort

1 of 2 verb
1
a
: to force air violently through the nose with a rough harsh sound
b
: to express scorn, anger, or surprise by a snort
2
: to take in (a drug) by inhaling through the nose
snorter noun

snort

2 of 2 noun
1
: an act or sound of snorting
2
: a drink of liquor usually taken by itself in one swallow

Medical Definition

snort

intransitive verb
: to take in a drug by inhalation

transitive verb

: to inhale (a narcotic drug in powdered form) through the nostrils
snort cocaine

More from Merriam-Webster on snort

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