huff

1 of 2

verb

huffed; huffing; huffs

intransitive verb

1
a
: to emit puffs (as of breath or steam)
b
: to proceed with labored breathing
huffed up to the peak
2
a
: to make empty threats : bluster
b
: to react or behave indignantly

transitive verb

1
archaic : to treat with contempt
2
: to make angry
3
: to utter with indignation or scorn
4
: to inhale (noxious fumes) through the mouth for the euphoric effect produced by the inhalant

huff

2 of 2

noun

: a usually peevish and transitory spell of anger or resentment
quit in a huff
Choose the Right Synonym for huff

offense, resentment, umbrage, pique, dudgeon, huff mean an emotional response to or an emotional state resulting from a slight or indignity.

offense implies hurt displeasure.

takes deep offense at racial slurs

resentment suggests lasting indignation or ill will.

harbored a lifelong resentment of his brother

umbrage may suggest hurt pride, resentment, or suspicion of another's motives.

took umbrage at the offer of advice

pique applies to a transient feeling of wounded vanity.

in a pique I foolishly declined the invitation

dudgeon suggests an angry fit of indignation.

stormed out of the meeting in high dudgeon

huff implies a peevish short-lived spell of anger usually at a petty cause.

in a huff he slammed the door

Examples of huff in a Sentence

Verb “The project is a complete waste of time,” she huffed. demanding to speak to the manager, he huffed about the rudeness of the sales assistant Noun was in a huff because everyone was running late and the school bus would stop to pick them up in a matter of minutes gets all in a huff every time anyone makes the slightest criticism
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Birgitte huffed and went inside, her feet thumping heavily. Thomas Korsgaard, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2024 Traumatized office workers bypassed elevators and huffed up the stairs. Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2024 The country huffs out a quarter of the world’s greenhouse gases but also accounts for about half of the world’s clean energy investment. Marshall Ingwerson, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Dec. 2023 Two tiny spring cubs also indulged, but their mother huffed at them from outside the video frame the whole time. Bjorn Dihle, Outdoor Life, 21 Sep. 2023 Photographers hauling gear huffed their way up the stairs. Maura Judkis, Washington Post, 12 Sep. 2023 According to researchers, Coyotes can make 11 different sounds including everything from yelping and huffing to barking and howling. Jay Cassell, Field & Stream, 21 June 2023 Its lavenderness starts to feel almost miraculous, like stumbling on an old canister of Glade rug and room deodorizer spray from 1987 and huffing it into your lungs until you’re hammered on the fumes. Heather Havrilesky, New York Times, 12 May 2023 Difluoroethane is a gas often used in cans of compressed air, which can be huffed to produce a high, while alprazolam is the generic form of brand-name Xanax. Daniela Avila, Peoplemag, 28 Apr. 2023
Noun
Feel free to let out a disappointed huff as the episode concludes. Vulture, 21 Dec. 2023 The quiet huff of snow and wind is broken by the distant thunder of avalanche bombs, and the beep and scrape of snowplows. Heather Hansman, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2023 The mother, Yujin, stomps away in a huff. Yoo Lee, The New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2022 Misty, of course, doesn’t see anything wrong with this privacy invasion—she’s never been one to care about that sort of thing—and leaves in a huff. Erik Kain, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2022 And Banks reportedly left the stage in a huff at the end of the October 7 Glasgow show, choosing not to bow with Rutherford and Collins. Devon Ivie, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2021 At the fateful astrology party in 1967, one of the attractions, a tarot card reader displayed bizarre behavior, storming off in a huff while spewing out a curse over Montandon and her home. Hadley Mendelsohn, House Beautiful, 26 Oct. 2022 Kim asked, and Usman continued talking while Kim left in a huff. Amanda Taylor, Peoplemag, 23 Oct. 2022 This despite the critical defection of Nike superstars like Kanye West (now deeply entrenched in Adidas after leaving Nike in a huff in 2013), Allyson Felix and Simone Biles. New York Times, 15 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'huff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

imitative

First Known Use

Verb

1583, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1684, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of huff was in 1583

Dictionary Entries Near huff

Cite this Entry

“Huff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/huff. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

huff

1 of 2 verb

huff

2 of 2 noun
: a fit of anger or irritation

Medical Definition

huff

transitive verb
: to inhale (noxious fumes) through the mouth for the euphoric effect produced by the inhalant
also : to inhale the noxious fumes of (a substance) for their euphoric effect
teenagers huffing correction fluid

More from Merriam-Webster on huff

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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