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
whiffed; whiffing; whiffs
1
: to move with or as if with a puff of air
3
: to inhale an odor
1
2
: fan sense 8
whiffed three batters
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
Ann Abel, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
The dogs, which thrust inquisitive muzzles into the impressions, apparently could derive no lingering whiff of lion odor from the tracks.
—Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 27 Feb. 2025
Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2025
Burnes had whiffed the leadoff hitter, Brenton Doyle, and his 1-2 pitch to Kyle Farmer was called a ball.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whiff
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Noun
The structure was drafted by a stage designer before being realized by an architect, a choice that’s reflected in some of its fanciful elements (some of which contemporary architects dismissed as kitsch) like frescoes, Romanesque arches, Gothic delicacy and whiffs of Art Nouveau foreshadowing.
—Ann Abel, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
The dogs, which thrust inquisitive muzzles into the impressions, apparently could derive no lingering whiff of lion odor from the tracks.
—Frank C. Hibben, Outdoor Life, 27 Feb. 2025
Verb
Soler badly whiffed through the pitch; Ray stuck with what worked.
—Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2025
Burnes had whiffed the leadoff hitter, Brenton Doyle, and his 1-2 pitch to Kyle Farmer was called a ball.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whiff
Cite this Entry
“Whiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whiff. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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 verb1
: to blow out or away in small amounts
2
: to breathe in an odor
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