Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

huffy

American  
[huhf-ee] / ˈhʌf i /

adjective

huffier, huffiest
  1. easily offended; touchy.

  2. offended; sulky.

    a huffy mood.

    Synonyms:
    petulant, resentful, sullen, surly
  3. snobbish; haughty.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of huffy

First recorded in 1670–80; huff + -y 1

Explanation

Don’t get all huffy, or offended or irritated, just because you didn’t know this definition. Like the wolf who huffed and puffed, anyone who’s huffy is easily upset. If everything you say to your sister seems to make her mad or hurt her feelings, you could say, "Stop being so huffy!" A huffy person might blow the hair off her forehead and stomp away. Don’t get mad, but Huffy is also the brand name of a cool bicycle. This adjective has been around since the 1600s, from huff, which first meant "exhale," and later "bluster with indignation."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing huffy

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:

Compare them to the grizzled, huffy statesmen who previously played those roles, especially in the 2002 ITV adaptation.

From Salon Mar. 28, 2026

They could also vote on huffy resolutions declaring their distaste for Boasberg et al.

From Slate Mar. 22, 2025

During the course of the TV show “Frasier,” its main character was described as pompous, loquacious, overanalytical, pushy, pretentious, bossy, huffy, vain … and those are just the words used by his loved ones.

From Seattle Times Sep. 27, 2023

An Indian journalist even tweeted that Singaporeans are "irrationally proud" of it, drawing a predictably huffy response.

From BBC Apr. 11, 2023

I take a huffy breath, try to tell myself that I’m being stupid.

From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish

She wur white as the bleached skull o’ a huffier; an sesh har!

From The War Trail The Hunt of the Wild Horse by Reid, Mayne

So things ran along, and I got huffier and huffier.

From The Preliminaries And Other Stories by Comer, Cornelia A. P.

Gerald Feinberg, the Columbia University physi-No, the huffiest of all it-couldn't-be-done claims cist, once went so far as to declare that "everything centered on the notion that human beings could possible will eventually be accomplished."

From SAT Tests

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training