whiff

1 of 2

noun

ˈ(h)wif 

1

a

: a quick puff or slight gust especially of air, odor, gas, smoke, or spray

b

: an inhalation of odor, gas, or smoke

c

: a slight puffing or whistling sound

2

: a slight trace or indication

a whiff of scandal

3

: strikeout

whiff

2 of 2

verb

whiffed; whiffing; whiffs

intransitive verb

1

: to move with or as if with a puff of air

2

: to emit whiffs : puff

3

: to inhale an odor

4

: strike out sense 3

transitive verb

1

a

: to carry or convey by or as if by a whiff : blow

b

: to expel or puff out in a whiff : exhale

c

: smoke sense 3

2

: fan sense 8

whiffed three batters

Synonyms

Noun

• breath
• flicker
• glimmer
• hint
• suggestion
• tang
• touch
• trace

Verb

• nose
• scent
• smell
• sniff
• snuff

Examples of whiff in a Sentence

Noun

I got a whiff of new paint when I entered the room.

I detected a whiff of sarcasm in her voice.

The pitcher had eight whiffs during the game.

Verb

He whiffed a strong odor of perfume.

The golfer nearly whiffed the shot.

The golfer nearly whiffed on the shot.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Nintendo — the Japanese video-game giant behind franchises like Mario and Zelda, an entire lineage of consoles, and co-owner of the Pokémon Company — is a famously litigious entity with a robust track record of effectively clamping down on anything even giving off a whiff of copyright infringement. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 20 Sep. 2024

This elegant wine introduces itself with aromas of lemon pith, citrus blossom, and a whiff of garrigue. —Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 20 Sep. 2024

Verb

These bulky hydrocarbons, whiffed by the Huygens probe that Cassini dropped on the moon in 2005, eventually settle out of the atmosphere and coat the ground, like a veneer of soot. —Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Sep. 2024

The Jets and general manager Joe Douglas also whiffed on a few free-agent signings, including running back Dalvin Cook and wide receivers Mecole Hardman and Allen Lazard. —Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

imitative

First Known Use

Noun

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1591, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing whiff

• skew-whiff

Kids Definition

whiff

1 of 2 noun

ˈhwif 

ˈwif

1

: a quick puff or slight gust

a whiff of air

2

: a small quantity of odor, gas, or smoke that is breathed in

whiff

2 of 2 verb

1

: to blow out or away in small amounts

2

: to breathe in an odor