huff

[ huhf ]

/ hʌf /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR huff ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a mood of sulking anger; a fit of resentment: Just because you disagree, don't walk off in a huff.

verb (used with object)

to give offense to; make angry.

to treat with arrogance or contempt; bluster at; hector or bully.

Checkers. to remove (a piece) from the board as a penalty for failing to make a compulsory capture.

Slang. to inhale the vapors of in order to become intoxicated: to huff glue.

verb (used without object)

to take offense; speak indignantly.

to puff or blow; breathe heavily.

to swell with pride or arrogance; swagger or bluster.

Nearby words

Origin of huff

1575–85; imitative; see puff

SYNONYMS FOR huff

1 temper, passion, pique, pet.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR huff ON THESAURUS.COM

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for huff

With that, he took a huff off a morning joint and moved into the throng of jovial patrons.
A Report From the Misunderstood Gathering of the Juggalos|Steve Miller|July 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So we salute you, Mr. Fielder, even as we continue to huff and puff at the gym in pursuit of those rippling ridges.
Prince Fielder’s Demi Moore Moment: World Loses It Over Athlete Without Six-Pack|Tim Teeman|July 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In response, Smith quit the party in a huff that July, trashing it as insufficiently principled on his way out the door.
Sen. Bob Smith: The Thing That Wouldn’t Leave|Michelle Cottle|December 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In elementary school, children will disagree and fight, then storm away in a huff and simply ignore each other.
Was It Irresponsible of Israel to Apologize to Turkey?|Brent E. Sasley|May 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST

“We have activities together, we see each other, we eat, we pet our dogs,” Huff told The Daily Beast.
What Amanda Knox Is Up to Now|Winston Ross, Barbie Latza Nadeau|March 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And Colonel Huff, that prince of royal plungers, had surrendered at last to the bank.
Shadow Mountain|Dane Coolidge
Lucy gazed at her so long and steadfastly that Talboys took the huff, and strolled along the cliff.
Love Me Little, Love Me Long|Charles Reade
It been so hot, I hate to hotfoot it nine miles to Winnsboro and huff dat same distance back on a hot summer day.
Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves|Work Projects Administration
I handed him a five-pound note, upon which he hauled out three pounds nineteen shillings change and walked off in a huff.
Is He Popenjoy?|Anthony Trollope
The dashing young wife's flirtative proclivities led to a quarrel with her husband, and he left her in a huff.
Danger! A True History of a Great City's Wiles and Temptations|William Howe

British Dictionary definitions for huff

huff

/ (hʌf) /

noun

a passing mood of anger or pique (esp in the phrase in a huff)

verb

to make or become angry or resentful

(intr) to blow or puff heavily

Also: blow draughts to remove (an opponent's draught) from the board for failure to make a capture

(tr) obsolete to bully

huffing and puffing empty threats or objections; bluster

Derived Formshuffish or huffy, adjectivehuffily or huffishly, adverbhuffiness or huffishness, noun

Word Origin for huff

C16: of imitative origin; compare puff

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for huff

huff

mid-15c., apparently imitative of exhaling. Extended sense of "bluster with indignation" is attested from 1590s. Related: Huffed; huffing. As a slang term for a type of narcotics abuse, by 1996. As a noun from 1590s; to leave in a huff is recorded from 1778. Popular terms for "strong beer or ale" noted from 1577 include huff cap as well as mad dog and dragon's milk.

Idioms and Phrases with huff

huff

In addition to the idiom beginning with huff

huff and puff

also see:

in a huff

huff

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

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Nearby words

Origin of huff

Examples from the Web for huff

British Dictionary definitions for huff

huff

noun

verb

Word Origin for huff

Word Origin and History for huff

huff

Idioms and Phrases with huff

huff