sniff

American  

[snif] / snɪf /

verb (used without object)

• sniffs,
  present (3rd person singular)
• sniffed,
  past participle,  past
• sniffing
  present participle

1. to draw air through the nose in short, audible inhalations.

2. to clear the nose by so doing; sniffle.

3. to smell by short inhalations.

4. to show disdain, contempt, etc., by or as by sniffing.

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verb (used with object)

• sniffs,
  present (3rd person singular)
• sniffed,
  past participle,  past
• sniffing
  present participle

1. to perceive by or as by smelling.

   to sniff a scandal.

2. to inhale through the nose.

   to sniff the air.

noun

• sniffs
  plural

1. an act of sniffing; a single, short, audible inhalation.

2. the sound made by such an act.

3. a scent or odor perceived.

   a sniff of perfume.

sniff British  

/ snɪf /

verb

1. to inhale through the nose, usually in short rapid audible inspirations, as for the purpose of identifying a scent, for clearing a congested nasal passage, or for taking a drug or intoxicating fumes

2. to perceive or attempt to perceive (a smell) by inhaling through the nose

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noun

1. the act or sound of sniffing

2. a smell perceived by sniffing, esp a faint scent

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• sniffing
  noun
• sniffingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sniffs
  plural

Participles

• sniffing
  present
• sniffed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• sniff
  simple
• sniffs
  simple
• have sniffed
  perfect
• has sniffed
  perfect
• am sniffing
  progressive
• are sniffing
  progressive
• is sniffing
  progressive
• have been sniffing
  perfect progressive
• has been sniffing
  perfect progressive

Past

• sniffed
  simple
• had sniffed
  perfect
• was sniffing
  progressive
• were sniffing
  progressive
• had been sniffing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will sniff
  simple
• will have sniffed
  perfect
• will be sniffing
  progressive
• will have been sniffing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of sniff

1300–50; Middle English; back formation from snivel

Explanation

Smell that cake baking? No? Take a sniff. A sniff is when you take air in through your nose to smell something. Dogs sniff a lot. It's how they get to know the world. Imagine this when you see the figurative use for sniff meaning to snoop as in, "The detective was sniffing around for clues." Sniff is one of those words that sound like what they mean. Take a big sniff and listen, you'll see. If you have a cold, and you keep sniffing, you have what's known as the sniffles.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sniff sniffs sniffed sniffing

This meant locals eager for a sniff were juggling schedules and watching for updates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

With New Zealand 28-2, England had a sniff.

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2026

Officials such as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the plan was to right-size the staff and introduce more technology to sniff out unpaid tax bills.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 5, 2026

We put their products—and others—to a sniff test.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026

“My dear girl,” answered the bard, with some indignation, “if I were able to run on four legs and sniff my dinner a mile away, I doubt I’d have any difficulties either.”

From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander

The firm uses computer-driven strategies to trade based on patterns and signals it sniffs out in markets and big data sets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026

He’s bothered not by the stench of corruption but the criticism, which, he sniffs, is not informed or “anything remotely resembling it.”

From Salon ● Jan. 4, 2025

Somewhere in the mountains of southeastern Spain, a tiny wood mouse sniffs the nutty, alluring aroma of acorns.

From Science Magazine ● Mar. 29, 2024

Marie Navarro tells her dad as she sniffs the dish.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 27, 2023

“I wanted you to have a childhood,” Mami sniffs, wiping her tears.

From "Before We Were Free" by Julia Alvarez

The New York Times eventually sniffed out the backroom deal.

From Salon ● Aug. 3, 2026

They haven’t sniffed the playoffs since while undergoing seemingly constant leadership changes that have allowed their culture to slowly rot.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2026

Magawa, who lived to eight years old, sniffed out over 100 landmines and other explosives in Cambodia during his five-year career that started in 2016.

From BBC ● Apr. 4, 2026

“I don’t think that an artist should bother about his audience,” Vladimir Nabokov sniffed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026

“I sniffed my way right to you,” he said.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Premier League clubs came sniffing, with Southampton and Crystal Palace - the club that had rejected him six years prior - among those interested.

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026

He spent a full minute sniffing my legs and shoes, after coming up to Viana to be petted.

From Slate ● May 27, 2026

But at this point, it’s all but impossible to imagine him sniffing the playoffs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2026

Sheriff’s deputies credit two K-9s with saving a life after sniffing out a missing woman who had fallen 200 feet down a steep ravine in the San Bernardino Mountains, officials say.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2026

Standing as rigid as a black locust stump, and with his long ears fanned open, he started sniffing the air.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

Related Words

• detect
• inhale
• smell