sniff

1 of 2

verb

sniffed; sniffing; sniffs

intransitive verb

1
a
: to inhale through the nose especially for smelling
sniffed at the flowers
b
: to take air into the nose in short audible breaths
She sniffed and wiped her nose.
2
: to show or express disdain or scorn
3
: snoop, nose
sniffed around for clues

transitive verb

1
a
: to get the odor or scent of (something) with the nose : smell
sniffed the freshly baked cookies
dogs sniffing the ground
b
: to inhale (something) through the nose : snort
sniffing cocaine
2
: to utter contemptuously
3
: to recognize or detect (something) by or as if by smelling
usually used with out
sniff out trouble

sniff

2 of 2

noun

1
: an act or sound of sniffing
2
: a quantity that is sniffed

Examples of sniff in a Sentence

Verb She sniffed and wiped her nose with a tissue. She put perfume on her wrist and sniffed it. The dog sniffed the carpet. He held the flower up to his nose and sniffed. “I guess you don't need my help,” she sniffed. Noun She said that she felt fine, but her sniffs and coughs told a different story. “I refuse to answer that question,” she said with a sniff. He wanted to avoid the slightest sniff of a scandal. There was still a sniff of hope left for the team.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Originally, Clear was created to help promote new security scanning/sniffing machines that could examine a passenger more quickly. Brad Templeton, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024 This spring, a blond yearling started sniffing around the Yamkovenkos’ back door. Paige Williams, The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2024
Noun
Thankfully, the guys who didn’t pass the sniff test before (Bryce Harper, Shohei Ohtani and Bobby Witt Jr. among others) are gone. Eno Sarris, The Athletic, 12 July 2024 The researchers asked 229 adults in China to wear this device and smell different odor mixtures: two odors presented in quick succession within a single sniff. Jacqueline Howard, CNN, 14 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sniff 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1767, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sniff was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near sniff

Cite this Entry

“Sniff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sniff. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

sniff

1 of 2 verb
1
: to draw air into the nose in short breaths loud enough to be heard
sniffed at the cheese
2
: to show or express scorn
sniffed at simple jobs
3
: to smell or inhale by taking short breaths
sniff perfume
4
: to detect by or as if by smelling
sniff out trouble
sniffer noun

sniff

2 of 2 noun
1
: the act or sound of sniffing
2
: an odor or amount sniffed

More from Merriam-Webster on sniff

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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