snake
gb/snˈeɪk/ us/snˈeɪk/
A2
English
~ 7600
kígyó, alattomos alak, áruló, kígyózik, kanyarog, lopakodik, oson, csőgörény, lefolyótisztító spirál, elcsen, lopva rápillant
NOUN
A2
1
kígyó
A2
Usage pattern:
a [adjective] snake
The snake slid silently through the dry grass.
A kígyó hangtalanul siklott a száraz fűben.
Be careful when lifting rocks; a snake could be hiding underneath.
Légy óvatos, amikor köveket emelsz fel; egy kígyó is rejtőzhet alattuk.
We saw a bright green snake wrapped around a tree branch in the rainforest.
Some snake species can swallow animals much larger than their heads.
The zookeeper used a hook to move the snake into its enclosure.
Learner examples
A snake has no legs.
A kígyónak nincs lába.
The snake is sleeping in the sun.
A kígyó a napon alszik.
I am afraid of snake bites.
We saw a big brown snake at the zoo.
This snake is not dangerous.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes call any long, thin animal a "snake" (for example, an eel in the water). A snake is specifically a land reptile with scales, not a fish.
Meaning
A long legless reptile
Collocations
venomous snake
|poisonous snake
|snake bite
|snake skin
|a nest of snakes
|snake species
Synonyms
serpent (More literary or formal; often used in myths, religion, or stories rather than everyday conversation.)
Antonyms
mammal (Refers to warm-blooded animals with hair and usually legs, contrasting with reptiles like snakes.)
Themes
animals
|nature
|science
Definition
A long, thin animal with no legs and dry scales, which moves on the ground by sliding; some kinds have poison.
A long, thin, legless reptile with scales, a forked tongue, and often sharp teeth, some species of which are venomous.
NOUN
B2
INFORMAL
2
áruló
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a (real) snake
He acted like my friend, but he was a snake who told the boss everything I said.
Úgy tett, mintha a barátom lenne, de alattomos alak volt: mindent elmondott a főnöknek, amit mondtam.
Watch out for her; she's a snake when it comes to office politics.
Vigyázz vele; ha irodai intrikákról van szó, igazi alattomos alak.
Only a snake would spread that kind of rumor about a coworker.
I trusted him with my secrets, and that snake shared them with everyone.
They called the agent a snake after he betrayed his own team.
Learner examples
He is a snake. Do not trust him.
Alattomos alak. Ne bízz benne.
She smiled at me, but she is a snake inside.
Rám mosolygott, de valójában alattomos alak.
My coworker is a snake who tells the boss my mistakes.
Only a snake would lie to his best friend.
People think he is nice, but he is a snake.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this meaning with the animal and say things like "He is like a snake" when English speakers more naturally say "He is a snake" to insult someone.
Meaning
Deceitful or treacherous person
Collocations
a real snake
|that snake
|turn out to be a snake
|such a snake
|a slippery snake
Synonyms
backstabber (Emphasizes secretly hurting someone who trusts you, especially friends or colleagues.)
Antonyms
straight shooter (Someone who is honest and direct, the opposite of being sneaky or two-faced.)
Themes
relationships
|emotions
|character
Definition
Someone who seems friendly but lies, cheats, or hurts other people in a secret way.
A person who behaves in a dishonest or untrustworthy way, often pretending to be friendly while secretly working against others.
VERB
B2
3
Usage pattern:
[something] snakes through [a place]
A narrow trail snakes through the forest for several miles.
Egy keskeny ösvény több mérföldön át kígyózik az erdőn keresztül.
The river snakes across the valley before reaching the sea.
A folyó a völgyön át kígyózik, mielőtt eléri a tengert.
Traffic crawled along the highway that snakes around the mountains.
A line of tourists snaked down the street outside the museum.
The pipeline snakes under the desert to deliver water to the city.
Learner examples
The road snakes through the mountains.
Az út a hegyek között kanyarog.
A small path snakes between the trees.
Egy kis ösvény kígyózik a fák között.
The river snakes across the flat land.
The line of people snakes around the building.
A long queue snaked through the airport.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "snake" as a verb always means "to move secretly". In this sense, it focuses on the shape and curves of the movement, not on being hidden.
Meaning
Move in a winding path
Collocations
snake through
|snake along
|snake around
|road snakes through
|river snakes across
|path snakes up the hill
Synonyms
wind (Very close in meaning; "wind" is more common and slightly broader, used for roads, rivers, and paths that curve.)
Antonyms
go straight (Describes movement in a direct line, without the curves implied by "snake".)
Themes
movement
|nature
|travel
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To go in a long, slow line that turns left and right many times, like a snake on the ground.
To move or extend in a long, twisting, and curving line, similar to the movement or shape of a snake.
C1
4
Usage pattern:
[someone] snakes into [a place]
He managed to snake into the concert without a ticket.
Sikerült jegy nélkül belopakodnia a koncertre.
The reporter tried to snake past the guards to get closer to the stage.
A riporter megpróbált észrevétlenül elsurranni az őrök mellett, hogy közelebb jusson a színpadhoz.
She snaked out of the meeting before anyone could ask her a question.
They snaked into the building through a side door after midnight.
The cat snaked into the kitchen, hoping no one would see it steal food.
Learner examples
He snaked into the room so no one saw him.
Úgy lopakodott be a szobába, hogy senki sem látta.
The boy snaked out of the house at night.
A fiú éjszaka kiosont a házból.
She snaked past the guard and went inside.
They snaked into the cinema without tickets.
I tried to snake out before the long speech started.
Common mistake:
Learners often use only "sneak" for this idea and do not recognize "snake" as a verb. Note that this use is less common and usually adds a negative or slightly playful tone.
Meaning
Move quietly to avoid notice
Collocations
snake into
|snake out of
|snake past
|snake around security
Synonyms
sneak (More common for this idea; "snake" adds a feeling of being especially sly or low.)
Antonyms
march (To walk in a loud, open, and formal way, clearly opposite to moving quietly and secretly.)
Themes
movement
|behavior
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To move slowly and very quietly so that other people do not see or hear you.
To move quietly and carefully in order not to be seen or noticed, often by taking an indirect path.
NOUN
B2
5
Usage pattern:
use a snake on [a drain]
The plumber used a snake to clear the clogged kitchen sink.
A vízvezeték-szerelő csőgörényt használt, hogy megszüntesse a konyhai mosogató dugulását.
You might need a drain snake if the plunger doesn't work.
Lehet, hogy lefolyótisztító spirálra lesz szükséged, ha a lefolyópumpa nem válik be.
He ran a snake through the pipe until the water started flowing again.
A long metal snake is kept in the maintenance closet for emergencies.
They rented a powered snake to deal with the main sewer line blockage.
Learner examples
The plumber used a snake to clean the pipe.
A vízvezeték-szerelő csőgörénnyel tisztította ki a csövet.
We need a drain snake for this sink.
Ehhez a mosogatóhoz lefolyótisztító spirál kell.
He pushed the snake into the pipe to remove the hair.
They rented a snake because the toilet was blocked.
I cannot fix this with a plunger, so I will try a snake.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "snake" here still means the animal. In hardware or home-repair contexts, "a snake" often refers to this tool, not a live creature.
Meaning
Flexible tool for unclogging drains
Collocations
drain snake
|plumber's snake
|use a snake
|run a snake through the pipe
Synonyms
drain snake (A more specific name that clearly links the tool to drains.)
Antonyms
blockage (The thing that stops water from flowing; the snake is used to remove this.)
Themes
home
|tools
|plumbing
|housing
|daily_life
Definition
A long, bendy tool that you put into a pipe or sink to clear something that is blocking it.
A long, flexible tool that is pushed into a pipe or drain to break up or remove a blockage.
VERB
C1
INFORMAL
6
elcsen
B2
Usage pattern:
snake [something] from [someone/somewhere]
He snaked a fry from her plate when she wasn't looking.
Elcsent egy sült krumplit a lány tányérjáról, amikor az nem figyelt.
She tried to snake a quick look at his test answers.
Megpróbált lopva rápillantani a fiú tesztválaszaira.
Someone snaked my seat while I went to get coffee.
The child snaked a cookie from the jar before dinner.
He snaked the last slice of pizza and pretended not to notice anyone else wanted it.
Learner examples
He snaked a cookie from the box.
Elcsent egy sütit a dobozból.
She snaked a fry from his plate.
Elcsent egy sült krumplit a fiú tányérjáról.
The boy snaked a quick look at the answers.
Someone snaked my chair when I stood up.
He snaked a piece of chocolate and hid it.
Common mistake:
This use is informal and less common. Learners may overuse it or think it always means serious crime. It is usually used for small, slightly bad actions, often in a light or joking way.
Meaning
Steal or grab slyly
Collocations
snake a fry
|snake a look
|snake a taste
|snake a seat
Synonyms
steal (More general and often stronger; "snake" suggests a quick, sneaky, usually minor act.)
Antonyms
offer (To give something openly and willingly, opposite to taking it secretly.)
Themes
behavior
|informal
|daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To quickly and quietly take something, usually a small thing, so that people do not see you.
To take something quickly and secretly, especially a small amount of food, a quick look, or something not very important.
Grammar
Dictionary form
snake
IPA
GB/snˈeɪk/
US/snˈeɪk/
Syllables & stress
snake (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (snake)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: snake
- Plural: snakes
Verb
- Base: snake
- 3rd Person Singular: snakes
- Present Participle: snaking
- Past: snaked
Word family
Forms
snakes
noun
snaking
verb
snaked
verb
Related words
snakebite
noun
snakeskin
noun
snakelike
adjective
Advanced or less common
snaky
adjective
Expressions
lower than a snake's belly
1/lˈoʊɚ ðən ə snˈeɪks bˈɛli/
idiom
informal
Extremely low or despicable
Very bad and without morals; used to strongly insult someone's character or actions.
Examples
- Anyone who scams old people is lower than a snake's belly.
- She called him lower than a snake's belly after he lied to the whole family.
- That kind of behavior is lower than a snake's belly in my book.
snake bite
1/snˈeɪk bˈaɪt/
fixed phrase
Bite from a snake
A wound made when a snake bites a person or animal, sometimes putting poison into the body.
Examples
- He was rushed to the hospital with a snake bite on his ankle.
- Hikers are warned about the risk of snake bites in this area.
- They learned basic first aid for snake bites during the safety course.
snake charmer
1/snˈeɪk t͡ʃˈɑɹmɚ/
fixed phrase
Performer who works with snakes
A person, especially in some Asian and African countries, who shows snakes to an audience and seems to control them with music.
Examples
- We saw a snake charmer performing in the market square.
- Old movies often show a snake charmer playing a flute to a cobra.
- The festival featured dancers, musicians, and even a snake charmer.
snake eyes
1/snˈeɪk ˈaɪz/
idiom
Two ones in dice roll
When you roll two dice and both of them show one, especially in gambling games.
Examples
- He rolled snake eyes and lost all his money.
- The crowd groaned when the shooter hit snake eyes at the table.
- Getting snake eyes twice in a row felt like terrible luck.
snake oil
1/snˈeɪk ˈɔɪl/
idiom
Fake or useless remedy
A product or plan that is sold as something amazing but actually does not work or is not helpful.
Examples
- Many people think those miracle diet pills are just snake oil.
- The new app sounded impressive, but critics called it snake oil.
- He promised to fix the economy with what turned out to be political snake oil.
snake your way into
1/snˈeɪk jˈʊɹ wˈeɪ ˈɪntu/
fixed phrase
Move or get into indirectly
To slowly and carefully get into a place or situation by moving around people or things, or by using indirect methods.
Examples
- They managed to snake their way into the VIP area without passes.
- We snaked our way into the crowded theater and finally found seats.
- He snaked his way into the conversation and changed the topic.
snake in the grass
1/snˈeɪk ˈɪn ðə ɡɹˈæs/
idiom
Hidden but dangerous or disloyal person
Someone who seems kind or safe but will hurt, cheat, or betray you when you do not expect it.
Examples
- I thought he was my friend, but he turned out to be a snake in the grass.
- Watch out for her—she’s a snake in the grass.
- Watch her closely; there's a snake in the grass in this team.
- The politician called his rival a snake in the grass after the surprise attack.
snake pit
1/snˈeɪk pˈɪt/
idiom
Hostile or chaotic situation
A place or situation that feels very unfriendly, stressful, or full of angry and competitive people.
Examples
- The office turned into a snake pit of blame and gossip.
- Without strong leadership, that office became a snake pit.
- Some reality shows are like a snake pit for the contestants.
- Some reality TV shows are basically emotional snake pits.
- New employees often describe the trading floor as a snake pit.