not 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!

See also: not, sneeze

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]

See also: not, sneeze

not to be sneezed at

or

not to be sniffed at

INFORMAL

If 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.

See also: not, sneeze

not to be sneezed at

not to be rejected without careful consideration; worth having or taking into account. informal

See also: not, sneeze

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.

See also: not, sneeze, sniff

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).

See also: not, sneeze