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
Chuck Murr, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025
Smith’s 30 percent whiff rate is five percentage points above major-league average.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 18 June 2025
Matt Gelb, New York Times, 22 June 2025
Well, only 1:38 as Tkachuk popped a rebound from outside the right post after Sam Reinhart whiffed on a shot from the slot, reset, got off a shot that Stuart Skinner saved to Tkachuk.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for whiff
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Noun
Scouts say Harris’ low-angle delivery provides enough deception to get the whiffs.
—Chuck Murr, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025
Smith’s 30 percent whiff rate is five percentage points above major-league average.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 18 June 2025
Verb
But Mets hitters whiffed at only four of the 43 fastballs Abel threw.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 22 June 2025
Well, only 1:38 as Tkachuk popped a rebound from outside the right post after Sam Reinhart whiffed on a shot from the slot, reset, got off a shot that Stuart Skinner saved to Tkachuk.
—Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 13 June 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 30 Jun. 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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