whiff

1 of 2

noun

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

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

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
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
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 See all Example Sentences for whiff 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'whiff.' 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

Noun

imitative

First Known Use

Noun

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1591, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of whiff was in 1591

Dictionary Entries Near whiff

Cite this Entry

“Whiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whiff. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

whiff

1 of 2 noun
ˈhwif How to pronounce whiff (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on whiff

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