To many people, to “snatch” just means to (try) to seize something quickly or rudely, however, “snatch” has many different meanings in slang, and this is the article to spell them out for you…
We will cover each meaning in turn, and where possible we will mention when this meaning originated, and examples of how the word can be used in whole sentences for each of these meanings. Throughout the article, we will touch on synonyms and any anecdotal information as it arises.
And without further ado, let’s get down to business…
Snatch original meaning (1): grasp/grab something quickly
A long time ago, we’re talking the 13th century, people used the word snatch to refer to a dog bite, but it’s no longer associated with this. The word snatch has been used to mean “lay hold of suddenly, seize or take eagerly” since the early 14th century, while the meaning “ a sudden grab” came much later in the 1570s.
In particular, people tend to use the word snatch when someone has grabbed something without waiting for permission.
It’s from this meaning of the term that we also have people using the word “snatch” to refer to pickpocketing and robbery.
Here are some whole sentences examples using this meaning:
- She snatched up the money before I had a chance to count it out.
- He snatched a handful of chips before I had begun offering them to him
- I’m going to snatch those from you if you leave them lying around.
- Let me just snatch one of those and I’ll get onto it.
Synonyms of this meaning
- Grab
- Grasp
- Take hold
- Take
- Swipe
- Seize
- Clutch
- Snap up
- Pluck
Snatch meaning in slang #2: attempt to catch something
You can also use the word snatch when someone attempts to grab something but they don’t actually manage to grasp it. Here are some whole sentence examples:
- She made a snatch for the kitten but it got away.
- He snatched the reins but missed and he started to fall off the horse.
Synonyms of this meaning
- Make a grab for
- Try to catch
- Grasp for
Snatch meaning in slang #3: lifting a barbell in one motion
The word “snatch” can also be used to refer to a type of lift in weight lifting in which the weight is raised from the floor directly to an overhead position in a single motion. People started to use this meaning of the term from the 1920s and onward.
Here are some examples of the term being used in this context in whole sentences:
- Look at that snatch - he just lifted it straight up, no problem at all.
- Watch me now, I can lift that weight in a one-motion snatch.
We don’t have synonyms for this meaning but we can give you the different types of snatch in this context. Here you go:
Full Snatch: The lift is received in a full depth overhead squat.
Power Snatch: The bar is caught in a partial squat or above parallel, not a full squat.
Squat Snatch: This is another name for the full snatch.
Snatch meaning in slang #4: kidnap
The term “snatch” has also been used to refer to kidnapping, and it has been used in this sense since the 1930s. Here are some whole sentence examples of the word being used in this context:
- Don’t leave little ones on their own - they’ll get snatched.
- Madeleine McCann was snatched during a family holiday in Portugal.
Synonyms of this meaning
- Abduct
- Kidnap
- Abduction
- Kidnapping
Snatch meaning in slang #5: a fragment of something
The word snatch can also refer to a fragment of something, and people have been using this meaning of the term since at least the 1590s. Here are some examples of the word being used in this sense in whole sentences:
- I overheard a snatch of their conversation and found out something I think you’d be interested in knowing.
- I can snatch some time after lunch before my 2pm meeting if that works for you.
- I saw a snatch or two of the film as I cleaned the house.
Synonyms of this meaning
- A little bit
- A small bit
- A fragment of
- Snippets of
- Passage
- Extract
- Segment
Snatch meaning in slang #6: a female’s vagina
The earliest recorded use of the word “snatch” to refer to a woman’s vagina dates back to 1785, and it’s one of the more popular slang meanings for the word. Here are some whole sentence examples of the word being used in this context (by the way these are all taken from actual written works published in the 20th century):
- He offered me 10 dollars to look at my snatch. Of course I said no.
- She could pick up coins the guests put on the edge of a table with her snatch.
- Rosie ran back to the kitchen when Harry lunged for her snatch. He’s an A-hole.
- She took her panties off. I took my strides off. I put my willy into her snatch and that’s all there was to it.
Interestingly some have found it fit to use the word snatch to refer to women collectively, as if that is all they are for.
Synonyms of this meaning
- Vagina - A neutral, anatomical term for the external female genitalia.
- Vulva - A neutral, anatomical term for the external female genitalia.
- Fanny - A term used in British English.
- Pussy - A common, informal, and often vulgar slang term for female genitalia.
- Box - An informal and often vulgar slang term for female genitalia.
- Beaver - A vulgar term for female genitalia.
- Gash - A vulgar term for female genitalia.
- Muff - A vulgar term for female genitalia.
- Lady parts - A common euphemism for a woman’s breasts and/or genitalia.
The word snatch in compounds and what they mean
Snatch bandit - A womaniser
Snatch box - the vagina
Snatch hound - a sexual obsessive
Snatch mouse - a tampon
Snatch play - sexual activity
Snatch salami - a penis
Snatch shot - a close-up photo of a vagina
Snatch thatch - female pubic hair
Snatched meaning in slang: looking great
In addition to these meanings of snatch, there’s also the word “snatched” which is derived from African-American Vernacular English (AAVE). In this context, “snatched” means looking extremely good, flawless and/or stylish. The word “snatched” is used to refer to someone who looks absolutely impeccable and perfectly styled (and therefore very attractive).
In fitness communities (on and offline) the word has a slightly different, but still similar meaning. It describes a cinched, narrow waist. For instance, you might see a photo on social media of someone with a snatched waist, with a caption such as #snatchedbody.
The term dates back to the 1990s when it was used as part of the African American drag culture. It originated as a description of a look that was so flawless it would make someone want to snatch the snatched person’s wig off in admiration to take a better look at them.
There have been films featuring this drag culture from the 1990s onward, and these may have helped this term to spread to the mainstream population, which has only grown further to its status today thanks to TV shows such as RuPaul’s Drag Race.
The term spread from the drag and LGBTQ+ communities to the broader internet and it caught the attention of Gen Z in particular, making it a very current way to express admiration for someone’s look or style.
Here are some examples of the word in whole sentences:
- His outfit is so snatched.
- After that make-up tutorial she was absolutely snatched.
- You’re looking snatched this evening, all dolled up to the nines.
- He was snatched on stage in that sparkly dress - I didn’t recognize him
- Look at that narrow waist - snatched!
- If I take the weight loss jab, could I look snatched?
Synonyms of this meaning
- Stunning
- Attractive
- Flawless
- Impeccable
- Stylish
- Fierce
- On point
- Perfect
- Fly
- Nice drip
Final word
In this article, we have covered 6 meanings of the word snatch, and an additional one for snatched. To recap, the word “snatch” can mean: grasp/grab something quickly; attempt to catch something; lifting a barbell in one motion; kidnapping; a fragment of something; or a woman’s vagina. Meanwhile “snatched” means looking great.
In almost all of these cases, there are synonyms that you might be able to use in place of the word “snatch”. And in the case of referring to a woman’s vagina, there are many compound words featuring “snatch”.
The oldest meaning of the word is to grab something quickly, and this dates back to the 13th century. People have been using the word to refer to a fragment of something since the 1590s, and they have been using it to refer to a woman’s vagina since 1785.
The most recent meaning (of snatched this time) dates back only to the 1990s, when people in African American drag culture started using the word to describe someone who looks so good you want to snatch their wig off. If you’re specifically looking for Gen Z slang, this is likely the meaning you were searching for.
