puff

verb

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\ ˈpəf

puffed; puffing; puffs

Definition of puff

(Entry 1 of 3)

intransitive verb

1a(1) : to blow in short gusts

(2) : to exhale forcibly

b : to breathe hard : pant

c : to emit small whiffs or clouds (as of smoke) often as an accompaniment to vigorous action puff at a pipe

2 : to speak or act in a scornful, conceited, or exaggerated manner

3a : to become distended : swell —usually used with up

b : to open or appear in or as if in a puff

4 : to form a chromosomal puff

transitive verb

1a : to emit, propel, blow, or expel by or as if by puffs : waft

b : to draw on (a cigar, cigarette, pipe, etc.) with intermittent exhalations of smoke

2a : to distend with or as if with air or gas : inflate

b : to make proud or conceited : elate

c(1) : to praise extravagantly and usually with exaggeration authors puffing their own work

(2) : advertise

puff

noun

Definition of puff (Entry 2 of 3)

1a : an act or instance of puffing : whiff

b : a slight explosive sound accompanying a puff

c : a perceptible cloud or aura emitted in a puff

d : draw sense 1a

2 : a light round hollow pastry

3a : a slight swelling : protuberance

b : a fluffy mass: such as

(1) : pouf sense 2

(2) : a small fluffy pad for applying cosmetic powder

(3) : a soft loose roll of hair

(4) : a quilted bed covering

4 : a commendatory or promotional notice or review

5 : an enlarged region of a chromosome that is associated with intensely active genes involved in RNA synthesis

puff

adjective

Definition of puff (Entry 3 of 3)

: of, relating to, or designed for promotion or flattery a puff piece in the paper

Synonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing puff Learn More About puff

Synonyms for puff

Synonyms: Verb

Synonyms: Noun

Examples of puff in a Sentence

Verb She sat on the porch puffing on a cigarette. The chimney puffed white smoke into the sky. We watched the train puff away on its journey west. He was puffing and panting from running. The bikers puffed up the hill. Noun He let me have a puff off his pipe. She took two puffs on her inhaler before going for a run. puffs filled with cream cheese and apricot jam See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Building an entirely new world order of this sort ought to puff up dramas great and small. — Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 16 June 2022 Place in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden, checking every few minutes to make sure the crust doesn't puff up. — Robin Miller, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2022 Place in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden, checking every few minutes to make sure the crust doesn't puff up. — Robin Miller, USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 2022 Place in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden, checking every few minutes to make sure the crust doesn't puff up. — Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 13 Apr. 2022 Aluminum foil may be used in place of parchment, but parchment creates an elegant presentation and can even puff up while cooking. — Navpreet Dhillon, Sunset Magazine, 17 Mar. 2022 After all, the beloved device is designed to puff plumes of hydrating mist into the air, which can relieve dry skin, congestion, and sore throats. — Amy Schulman, PEOPLE.com, 11 Mar. 2022 Powder has the leavening power to puff all on its own. — Claire Saffitz, Bon Appétit, 18 Feb. 2022 His body, in this case, seemed truly to puff up and grow bigger. — Ben Brantley, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun It's expected to land in a puff of sand in a remote area of the New Mexican desert, called White Sands, which has long been the site of aerospace and weapons tests. — Jackie Wattles, CNN, 25 May 2022 Would a light puff of air really alert me to turn off the oven? — Forrester, Forbes, 16 May 2022 Gold seems more interested in the stylistic scene transitions than the scenes themselves, leaving the production to feel like little more than a hollow puff of smoke. — Christian Lewis, Variety, 29 Apr. 2022 And cremating the body parts made sure evidence went up in a literal puff of smoke. — Rebekah L. Sanders, The Arizona Republic, 12 Apr. 2022 This season, everything’s changed in a puff of smoke. — Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2022 For the daytime outing, Lourd, 29, wore a sequin Louis Vuitton LBD featuring puff shoulders teamed with oversize hoop earrings and a matching purse over her shoulder. — Nicholas Rice, PEOPLE.com, 13 May 2022 Power puff shoulders take a floral dress's spring aura up several notches, in both mini and midi lengths. — Halie Lesavage, Harper's BAZAAR, 13 May 2022 Guys with thick hair already have a high level of volume, so adding more might create one of those giant puff-ball situations. — John Thompson, Men's Health, 13 May 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Apply the anti-puff serum with the metal roller ball and get ready to reap all of the cooling, calming, and rejuvenating benefits. — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 24 May 2021 This super-puff exoplanet, known as WASP-107b, is about the same size as Jupiter, but only about one-tenth the mass — or about 30 times more massive than Earth. — Star Tribune, 24 Jan. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'puff.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.