noun / verb

snigger

SNIG-er/ˈsnɪɡər/

A quiet, disrespectful or silly laugh, or the act of laughing this way.

The young adult sniggers quietly behind a hand.

A South Asian young adult quietly stifles a silly laugh behind hand, shoulders slightly shaking.

Etymology

sniggerEnglishlaugh in a half-suppressed way

Snigger is a variant of snicker, a half-suppressed laugh. Snicker may imitate the sound itself; the central image is laughter partly held back, fitting the quiet laugh in this sense.

In context

Storytime Haven473:12

St Xavier’s boys sometimes brought them in by stealth to snigger over among their mates; for the language of the grateful patient recounting his symptoms is most simple and revealing.

Kim by Rudyard Kipling 📚✨ | A Tale of Adventure and Espionage in India

More examples

She hides a snigger behind her hand.
They sniggered at his mismatched socks.
Stop sniggering and let her finish speaking.

Forms

snigger · sniggers · sniggered · sniggering

Similar words

snicker: Means essentially the same thing; more common in American English.
giggle: Suggests light, silly laughter rather than deliberate disrespect or mockery.
chuckle: Usually conveys quiet amusement without the disrespect implied by snigger.