intransitive verb sniveled or snivelled, sniveling or snivelling
- to have mucus running from the nose
- to sniff repeatedly, as from a head cold, crying, etc.; sniffle
- to cry and sniffle
- to fret or complain in a whining, tearful manner
- to make a whining, tearful, often false display of grief, sympathy, disappointment, etc.
Origin:
ME snivelen < OE *snyflan < base seen in snofl, mucus, prob. ult. < IE base *sneu-, to flow