snjöll, snjallt, adj. [A. S. snel = quick; Germ. schnell; Hel. snell = strenuus; Dan. and Norse snild = good]:—prop. swift; this sense, however, has disappeared, and it is used,

II. metaph. eloquent, well-spoken; hverr var þessi inn snjalli maðr? Fagrsk. 139 (mál-snjalli, Fms. vi. 415, l. c.); s. at máli, Sks. 72 new Ed., Róm. 312; fá menn til at eiga þing við Knút, þá er snjallir sé ok slægir, Fms. xi. 219; völdusk til þrír hinir snjöllustu menn á þinginu at tala, x. 278; snjallara mál, vii. 158; tala langt eyrendi ok snjallt, Nj. 250, Fms. x. 278: mál-s., q. v.

2. good, excellent; snjallara ráð ok vitrligra, Fms. i. 104; hit bezta ráð ok snjallasta, vi. 417.

3. valiant, doughty; snjallr ok vel hugaðr, Lv. 52; at hug hafa hjörum at bregða eru hildingar hölzti snjallir, Hkv. 1. 22; hví namtú hann sigri þá, ef þér þótti hann s. vera? Em. 6; ef hann er snjallari en geit, Fb. ii. 223; snjallr í sessi, brave when in shelter, Ls. 15; vera jamn-s. e-m, one’s equal in courage and valour. Glúm. 335, 336, Valla L. 203; jamn-snjallr sem geit, Bjarn. (in a verse): passim in Lex. Poët. as an epithet of kings, even as an epithet of God, and in various poët. compds; ú-snjallr, the unwise, Hm. 15, 47; ú-snjallara (more cowardly) kvað hann mik enn gyltuna, Valla L.

III. as pr. names, Snjallr, Landn.; Snjall-steinn, id.: in Dan. local names, Snolde-löv.