Please help me recall this verb, I can't find it googling. It means treat something as insignificant, be condescending about something. And it goes with "at"
It's an opportunity/offer not to be _____ed at [that is, you should consider it seriously].
asked Dec 20, 2022 at 14:31
-
3scoff?– stangdonCommented Dec 20, 2022 at 14:43
-
1@stangdon aaaaaand... We have a winner! 🎉– Sergey ZolotarevCommented Dec 20, 2022 at 14:48
-
1Or not to be sniffed at– Kate BuntingCommented Dec 20, 2022 at 16:24
-
The thing is that we generally don't start sentences like that. We'd say: You shouldn't scoff at an opportunity like that.– LambieCommented Dec 20, 2022 at 16:26
-
2@Lambie I disagree, as you can find plenty of examples of "not to be scoffed at"; it's something of a stock phrase, IMO.– stangdonCommented Dec 20, 2022 at 16:55
|
Show 2 more comments
2 Answers
To estimate as insignificant or worthless... this is an opportunity for you to use (perhaps) the longest word in English:
It's an opportunity not to be floccinaucinihilipilificated, that is you should consider it seriously.
Ok, well that was a bit of a joke answer, floccinaucinihilipilification isn't a "real" word, as it was made up as a very long word. For a real answer, I would use "scoffed". To "scoff" is to speak or laugh about something in a derisive or mocking manner. The idiom "not to be scoffed at" means "to be taken seriously.
This is an opportunity not to be scoffed at; you should take it seriously.
-
It's funny that my comment under the question was not understood and here you are rewriting it in a much more plausible form, which illustrates exactly what I said.– LambieCommented Dec 20, 2022 at 17:17
You may be thinking of "sneer", which is often followed by "at":
It's an opportunity/offer not to be sneered at.
intransitive verb
1: to smile or laugh with facial contortions that express scorn or contempt
2: to speak or write in a scornfully jeering manner
. . .
SNEER stresses insulting by contemptuous facial expression, phrasing, or tone of voice.
sneered at anything romantic
"Scoff" and "sniff" (mentioned in comments above) are also possible.
answered Dec 20, 2022 at 17:09
