Snobby means acting superior to others and looking down on people you think aren't as good, smart, or sophisticated as you are. A snobby person might refuse to play with certain classmates because they don't wear expensive clothes, or turn up their nose at someone's favorite book because they think it's “beneath them.”

Someone acting snobby treats preferences like facts. They don't just enjoy classical music, they act like people who prefer pop music have bad taste. They don't just like certain foods, they make faces when others order differently. The snobby kid at school might brag about their vacation spot while dismissing where everyone else went as “boring.”

Snobby behavior pushes people away because nobody likes feeling judged or looked down on. It's different from having high standards or strong interests. You can love science without being snobby about it, appreciating your own passions while respecting that others have different ones. A person who's passionate about robotics but curious about their friend's love of dance isn't snobby. The one who says “robotics is the only thing worth caring about” is.

The related noun is snob, meaning a person who regularly acts this way.