not to be sneezed at
(redirected from wasn't to be sneezed at)not to be sneezed at
To not be something that should be ignored, passed over, dismissed, or treated with disdain; to not be trivial or inconsequential. We may not have won the game, but we scored enough points and caused enough damage to let everyone know we aren't to be sneezed at. Sure, a hundred bucks isn't a huge amount to win in a lottery, but it's still not to be sneezed at!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
not to be sneezed at
Also, nothing to sneeze at. Not to be ignored or dismissed, as in It's a great honor, not to be sneezed at, or That salary of his is nothing to sneeze at. This expression presumably alludes to turning up one's nose in disdain. [c. 1800]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
not to be sneezed at
ornot to be sniffed at
INFORMALIf something is not to be sneezed at or not to be sniffed at, it is worth having. The money's not to be sneezed at. At least she had somewhere to live and a job — both temporary, but not to be sniffed at.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
not to be sneezed at
not to be rejected without careful consideration; worth having or taking into account. informalFarlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
not to be ˈsneezed/ˈsniffed at
(informal) important or worth having: If I were you, I’d take the job. A salary like that’s not to be sneezed at.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
not to be sneezed at
Not to be dismissed. This term, which presumably comes from turning up one’s nose at something to express contempt, was already current in the early nineteenth century. “As I am situated, £300 or £400 a year is not to be sneezed at” (Sir Walter Scott, letter, 1813).
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer