whiff

1 of 2

noun

ˈ(h)wif 

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

: strikeout

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

: strike out sense 3

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

c

: smoke sense 3

2

: fan sense 8

whiffed three batters

Synonyms

Noun

• breath
• flicker
• glimmer
• hint
• suggestion
• tang
• touch
• trace

Verb

• nose
• scent
• smell
• sniff
• snuff

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

One way to do this is by stocking up on candles, body care products, and hand soaps that give you and your guests a whiff of classic wintertime scents. —Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 13 Dec. 2024

Following this whiff, the Mets need to find an additional pitcher or two to slot into the starting rotation. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024

Verb

The New York Yankees whiffed on re-signing Juan Soto this winter, but that could end up being a blessing in disguise. —Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024

The same is potentially true of William Karlsson whiffing a short-handed two-on-one in the first period, especially since Ryan Nugent-Hopkins opened the scoring when the play went back down the ice. —Daniel Nugent-Bowman, The Athletic, 15 Dec. 2024

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

Phrases Containing whiff

• skew-whiff

Kids 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 verb

1

: to blow out or away in small amounts

2

: to breathe in an odor