huff
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
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huffs,
present (3rd person singular)
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huffed,
past participle, past
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huffing
present participle
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to give offense to; make angry.
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to treat with arrogance or contempt; bluster at; hector or bully.
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Checkers. to remove (a piece) from the board as a penalty for failing to make a compulsory capture.
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Slang. to inhale the vapors of in order to become intoxicated.
to huff glue.
verb (used without object)
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huffs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
huffed,
past participle, past
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huffing
present participle
-
to take offense; speak indignantly.
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to puff or blow; breathe heavily.
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to swell with pride or arrogance; swagger or bluster.
noun
verb
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to make or become angry or resentful
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(intr) to blow or puff heavily
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Also: blow. draughts to remove (an opponent's draught) from the board for failure to make a capture
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obsolete (tr) to bully
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empty threats or objections; bluster
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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huffsimple
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huffssimple
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have huffedperfect
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has huffedperfect
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am huffingprogressive
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are huffingprogressive
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is huffingprogressive
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have been huffingperfect progressive
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has been huffingperfect progressive
Past
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huffedsimple
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had huffedperfect
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was huffingprogressive
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were huffingprogressive
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had been huffingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of huff
1575–85; imitative; see puff
Explanation
If you're in a huff, you're visibly annoyed or offended. Another kind of huff is to exhale. When the Big Bad Wolf was in a huff, he threatened, "Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in!" People tend to flounce out of a room in a huff or storm away in a huff. If your soccer coach calls you off the field for being unsportsmanlike, you might be tempted to stomp off in a huff, convincing her that she was right. You could also describe this state as being "miffed" or "in a snit" or "in a fit of pique." In all cases, your irritation is obvious. Another meaning of huff is to exhale or blow loudly, especially from exertion. At the end of a marathon, you might huff and puff with exhaustion, but you'll be glad to pass the finish line.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
When Abe Saperstein, the Globetrotters’ founder, stormed the Reds locker room in a huff, Klotz warned him, “If you let your guard down, we’ll get you again.”
From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2026
Skepticism predominated at the time, with Microsoft Chief Technology Officer Kevin Scott fearing OpenAI might "storm off to Amazon in a huff."
From Barron's ● May 11, 2026
Never having to huff your own engine exhaust is even better—you just don’t notice how smelly gas cars can be until you’ve been out of one for a while.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026
His Ray always seems to be hiding behind a motorcycle visor even when he’s not and when he deigns to speak, the words trail off in a huff of exhaustion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 5, 2026
James gave a short huff and stopped walking.
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
The morning included wide-eyed surprise and huffs from both parties, prompting a back and forth of retorts and accusations over three hours of discussion.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 1, 2024
“Everything cool is banned in the Soviet Union,” he huffs.
From New York Times ● Feb. 22, 2024
“If I’m the longest tenured sideline reporter ever, with well over 500 games,” she huffs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 7, 2024
Indianapolis Colts: Jeff Saturday isn’t coming back, no matter how much owner Jim Irsay huffs and puffs.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 7, 2023
Mr. Inkberrow takes off his glasses, huffs them, and polishes them with the fat end of his tie.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
“Art is about building a new foundation, not just laying something on top of what’s already there,” Prince famously huffed to Billboard in 2013.
From Salon ● Feb. 14, 2026
United, missing injured forwards Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha, huffed and puffed but could not find an equaliser despite 25 shots on goal to Everton's three.
From Barron's ● Nov. 24, 2025
"They huffed and puffed in the second half. It was improved, but not good enough."
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2025
DAMASCUS, Syria — Standing in the dilapidated ATM hall of his bank, Maher Elias huffed a sigh equal parts exasperation and exhaustion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2025
For an hour, I moved bolts of fabric, slammed them into place, huffed through my nostrils like a charging bull, and kept my mouth shut.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
Between every line of Ms. Haberman and Mr. Swan’s huffing disapproval of Mr. Trump’s reckless ignorance and impulsivity is their delight in having him as a subject, a ticket to the bestseller list.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Only after sunrise did people dare to leave their homes, and by then a ferocious fire was huffing thick plumes of smoke over the city.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2026
The care support worker showed them the scene through his camera with Edwards "huffing and puffing" on the other end of the phone while getting into position following a five-minute uphill bike push.
From BBC ● Jan. 10, 2026
With mighty Yankee Aaron Judge huffing and puffing at the plate, a lone insistent chant emerged from a Dodger fan lurking in the shadows.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2025
Her hair is twisted together on both sides, and she is huffing and puffing like we had to run two miles.
From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
