{
    "term": "sneer",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "sneer",
            "heSheIt": "sneers"
        },
        "pastSimple": "sneered",
        "pastParticiple": "sneered",
        "ingForm": "sneering"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to show that you have no respect for somebody by the expression on your face or by the way you speak",
            "sensetop": "sneer (at somebody/something)+ speech",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He sneered at people who liked pop music.",
                    "contextForm": "sneer (at somebody/something)"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a sneering comment"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She gave a sneering laugh."
                },
                {
                    "text": "‘You? A writer?’ she sneered.",
                    "contextForm": "+ speech"
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "mock",
            "topics": ["Appearance"]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/snɪə(r)/",
                "audio": "sn/sneer/sneer__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/snɪəz/",
                "audio": "sn/sneer/sneers__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/snɪəd/",
                "audio": "sn/sneer/sneered__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈsnɪərɪŋ/",
                "audio": "sn/sneer/sneering__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/snɪr/",
                "audio": "sn/sneer/sneer__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/snɪrz/",
                "audio": "sn/sneer/sneers__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/snɪrd/",
                "audio": "sn/sneer/sneered__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈsnɪrɪŋ/",
                "audio": "sn/sneer/sneering__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "late Middle English: probably of imitative origin."
}