'snub' originates from Middle English (adj.), possibly from a Middle English word similar to 'snubbe' meaning 'short' or 'turned up', though the ultimate origin is uncertain.

'snub' appeared as an adjective in Middle English meaning 'short, blunt, or turned up' (esp. of a nose) and later developed as a verb by the 17th–18th century meaning 'to check, rebuke, or treat sharply'; the past form 'snubbed' follows regular verb formation.

Initially it referred to a physical shortness or bluntness (for example a 'snub' nose), but over time it evolved to describe social action — treating someone abruptly or disdainfully, which is the dominant modern sense.