Snubs

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. Deliberate actions that show disdain or refusal to acknowledge someone, often by turning away or avoiding contact
2. Instances where a person is intentionally ignored or treated with disrespect by not being greeted, included, or noticed
3. Behaviors that involve consciously overlooking or dismissing another person as a sign of disapproval or insult

Etymology: The most striking thing about "snub" is how far its modern sense has drifted from its physical origin. The Old Norse verb "snubba" meant to scold or rebuke, and its Nordic relatives meant something far more concrete: to pinch off, or even to castrate. In those languages the verb carried the image of snipping something short, and the figurative idea of cutting someone down to size grew from that. The word's family is also surprisingly varied. Its close relatives include "snip," "snap," and "nib," all tied to the notion of a pinched or pointed end, and some Scandinavian nouns for a snout or a lobe come from the same root. Scholars are less certain about a few other links, such as possible kinship with "snoop" or "sniff," so those connections remain tentative. Plural "snubs" is simply the third-person singular form of the verb and the plural of the noun. Each of these forms follows the base word "snub" and carries its meaning of deliberate slighting.

Synonyms: slights, rebuffs

Antonyms: honors, recognitions