The word "sneak" is familiar from school. Even the teaser of the “Sneak-snag” has been remembered. It is easy to guess that such a nickname did not bode well. What does this word mean? How to use it correctly, and is it possible to replace it with synonyms? All answers are in this article.
The lexical meaning
The noun "sneak" is often used in modern Russian speech, popular among schoolchildren. It is acceptable for colloquial, artistic and journalistic style of speech.
The explanatory dictionaries indicate that sneak is a person who deals with petty denunciations, slanders colleagues, classmates and strangers. The denunciation itself is called directly such a noun.
Etymology
Words of origin are not only native Russian, but also borrowed. It is to the latter category that the noun “sneak” belongs. It came into Russian from the Old Norse language.
Max Fasmer’s etymological dictionary gives the original meaning of the word: sneak is a service, a position. This is the original lexical meaning of this word. Later it began to mean "servant", and then they got used to call denunciation fans.
Synonyms
To the noun "sneak" you can pick up several words that are similar in lexical meaning. There is more than one synonym for the word "sneak." The dictionary of synonyms of the Russian language contains at least five options.
- Informer. "Everyone knew that the ambassador was the same scammer."
- Snitch. "It is not in vain that Petya from the parallel class is considered an informer, he tells everything to the teacher."
- Earphone. "In vain you, Vasily, shut up your headphone, they will reveal you soon."
- Informant. "The royal informant could overhear any secret conversation and convey it to his master precisely."
- Healer. "Ilya Ivanovich is an infamous slander, we must keep quiet next to him."
Depending on the specific context, you can replace the noun "sneak" with synonyms. They will help to avoid repetition and make the statement more informative.
Features of coordination with adjectives
It is worth considering one important grammatical feature. The noun "sneak" does not directly indicate gender. That is, it can refer to persons of a female or male gender. Depending on the gender of the noun, adjectives must be coordinated:
- Katya is a terrible (jr.) sneak.
- Ilya is a terrible (MR) sneak.
It is worth remembering what this word means. It is important to know its synonyms, as well as the peculiarities of matching with adjectives.