snub

Snub is a term with several related but distinct senses. As a verb, it means to treat with disdain or to rebuff someone— to ignore or reject them in a deliberate, often chilly manner. As a noun, a snub is the act itself or a gesture of cold dismissal: a rebuff, a slight, or a deliberate ignoring.

In nautical use, snub means to hold back or secure a vessel by a line to a fixed object, thereby checking its movement; a snub line or snubbing measure is used to prevent movement in docks or to control a vessel's approach.

In social contexts, snubbing can occur in conversations, invitations, or public settings, where one person is deliberately excluded or ignored by others. The effect is typically social discomfort or exclusion, and intent can be difficult to assess.

Etymology: The verb originates in the 17th century, with the noun sense of a rebuff arising later. The term shares semantic space with rebuff, slight, and cold shoulder, though it often implies a personal, deliberate rejection.

Related terms: rebuff, slight, ostracize, blacklist, exclude.

Examples: He snubbed his colleague at the conference by not acknowledging him. The captain snubbed the ship by securing a line to the pier to stop its forward motion.