neener

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

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Interjection

neener

1. (childish, informal, often humorous) A hostile taunt, often repeated in a singsong voice.
   • 1999, Suzanne Weyn, Happy Grouchy Day:

     Grizzy shouted. She ran up to some old Grouch ladies. She stuck her tongue out at them. She blew a great big razzberry at them. "Neener, neener, neener!"

Usage notes

"Neener" is often repeated twice or thrice. When there are three iterations, it is often sung to the tune of the words "Ring around the roses".

Translations

a hostile taunt

• Catalan: elis elis
• French: lalalalère, na (fr)
• German: ätsch (de), ätsch-bätsch, ätschi-bätsch
• Italian: marameo (it)
• Korean: 얼레리꼴레리 (eollerikkolleri)
• Norwegian: æ bæ
• Spanish: lero lero (es)

Further reading

• “neener, neener”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.