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
Minty Mellon, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2025
Finally, the agreement carries a strong whiff of colonialism that is anathema to many Palestinians.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025
Dennis Lin, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The Houston Astros whiffed on six of their 10 swings against him, including four of five against his sweeper.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for whiff
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Noun
Hats felt especially expressive, from the pillbox shapes that carried a whiff of mod elegance to the newsboy caps that revived a polarizing Y2K style.
—Minty Mellon, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2025
Finally, the agreement carries a strong whiff of colonialism that is anathema to many Palestinians.
—Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
The Cubs swung at 10 of his offerings, whiffed at six and fouled off the other four.
—Dennis Lin, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
The Houston Astros whiffed on six of their 10 swings against him, including four of five against his sweeper.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 28 Sep. 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 7 Oct. 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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