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Simper vs Jeer - What's the difference?

simper | jeer |

As verbs the difference between simper and jeer

is that simper is to smile in a foolish, frivolous, self-conscious, coy, or smug manner while jeer is to utter sarcastic or mocking comments; to speak with mockery or derision; to use taunting language.

As nouns the difference between simper and jeer

is that simper is a foolish, frivolous, self-conscious, or affected smile; a smirk while jeer is a railing remark or reflection; a scoff; a taunt; a biting jest; a flout; a jibe; mockery or jeer can be (nautical) a gear; a tackle.

simper

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • To smile in a foolish, frivolous, self-conscious, coy, or smug manner.
  • * 1892 , , The American Claimant , ch. 21:
  • Why, look at him—look at this simpering self-righteous mug!
  • * 1915 , , The Voice In The Fog , ch. 24:
  • How the fools kotowed and simpered while I looked over their jewels and speculated upon how much I could get for them!
  • (obsolete) To glimmer; to twinkle.
  • * Herbert
  • Yet can I mark how stars above / Simper and shine.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A foolish, frivolous, self-conscious, or affected smile; a smirk.
  • * 1843 , , Book 2, Ch. 2, "St. Edmundsbury":
  • Yes, another world it was, when these black ruins, white in their new mortar and fresh chiselling, first saw the sun as walls, long ago. Gauge not, with thy dilettante compasses, with that placid dilettante simper , the Heaven's—Watchtower of our Fathers, the fallen God's—Houses, the Golgotha of true Souls departed!
  • * 1972 , , The Levanter (2009 edition), ISBN 9780755117635, p. 158:
  • He paused, and then a strange expression appeared on his lips. It was very like a simper .

    See also

    * smirk * shit-eating grin

    References

    Anagrams

    *

    jeer

    English

    Etymology 1

    Perhaps a corruption of ).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A railing remark or reflection; a scoff; a taunt; a biting jest; a flout; a jibe; mockery.
  • * 1711 , , The Fable of Midas, in The Works of Jonathan Swift , D.D., Vol XII, Sir Walter Scott, ed., Edinburgh: Archibald Constable and Co., 1824, pages 302-5,
  • Midas, exposed to all their jeers , Had lost his art, and kept his ears.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To utter sarcastic or mocking comments; to speak with mockery or derision; to use taunting language.
  • * ,
  • But when he saw her toy and gibe and jeer .
  • * {{quote-news
  • , year=2011 , date=October 1 , author=Phil McNulty , title=Everton 0 - 2 Liverpool , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=At the end of a frantic first 45 minutes, there was still time for Charlie Adam to strike the bar from 20 yards before referee Atkinson departed to a deafening chorus of jeering from Everton's fans.}}
  • (archaic) To mock; treat with mockery; to taunt; to flout.
  • * Ben Jonson
  • And if we cannot jeer' them, we ' jeer ourselves.
    Synonyms
    * (to utter sarcastic remarks) scoff, sneer * (to treat with scoffs) deride, flout, gibe, mock, ridicule

    Etymology 2

    Compare (gear).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (nautical) A gear; a tackle.
  • (nautical, in the plural) An assemblage or combination of tackles, for hoisting or lowering the yards of a ship.
  • *
  • Derived terms
    * jeer capstan