snitch

IPA/snɪtʃ/
KK[snˈɪtʃ]IPA/snɪtʃ/

snitch — verb

  • snitchpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • snitcheshe / she / it
  • snitchedpast simple
  • snitching-ing form

1. to secretly give information about someone's wrongdoing to a person in authority

1.動詞不及物B2
釋義

to secretly give information about someone's wrongdoing to a person in authority, especially in a school, workplace, or group setting where this is seen as disloyal or sneaky

例句

Luca snitched on his classmate for talking during the exam.

snitch + on + person (reason for wrongdoing)

Bao refused to snitch on his friends even when the principal questioned him.

同義詞
  • inform on

    more neutral and formal; used in police and legal contexts

  • rat on

    more informal and strongly disapproving; common in criminal slang

  • tell on

    common among young children; less harsh in tone

反義詞
  • cover up

    to hide wrongdoing instead of reporting it

  • protect

    to shield someone from consequences by staying quiet

文法句型

snitch + on + person

snitch + to + authority

用法筆記

Strongly negative and informal. The person being informed on is introduced with 'on'; the authority figure with 'to'. Common in school, prison, and criminal-group contexts.

常見錯誤

❌He snitched the teacher that I was late.
✅He snitched on me to the teacher.
💡'Snitch' is intransitive; use 'on' before the person reported and 'to' before the authority.
❌She snitched the plan to the police.
✅She snitched on the gang members to the police.
💡The object must be a person, not information about a thing or plan.

2. to take something that does not belong to you, especially something small or of

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to take something that does not belong to you, especially something small or of little value, in a quick or sneaky way

例句

Eri snitched a cookie from the jar when no one was looking.

snitch + something + from + place

Someone snitched a bag of chips from the cafeteria during lunch break yesterday.

同義詞
  • swipe

    also informal; similar tone and scope

  • pilfer

    slightly more formal but means the same kind of small theft

  • pinch

    British informal slang; means the same

反義詞
  • return

    to give back what was taken

  • replace

    to put something back where it belongs

文法句型

snitch + something

snitch + something + from + place

用法筆記

Refers to casual or petty theft, not serious crime. Typically used for small, low-value items like food, pens, or inexpensive goods.

常見錯誤

❌He snitched a car from the parking lot.
✅He snitched a candy bar from the store.
💡'Snitch' as 'steal' is only used for small, low-value items, not vehicles or large valuables.

snitch — noun