sniff
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to draw air through the nose in short, audible inhalations.
-
to clear the nose by so doing; sniffle.
-
to smell by short inhalations.
-
to show disdain, contempt, etc., by or as by sniffing.
verb (used with object)
-
to perceive by or as by smelling.
to sniff a scandal.
-
to inhale through the nose.
to sniff the air.
noun
-
an act of sniffing; a single, short, audible inhalation.
-
the sound made by such an act.
-
a scent or odor perceived.
a sniff of perfume.
verb
-
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
-
to perceive or attempt to perceive (a smell) by inhaling through the nose
noun
-
the act or sound of sniffing
-
a smell perceived by sniffing, esp a faint scent
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
sniffsimple
-
sniffssimple
-
have sniffedperfect
-
has sniffedperfect
-
am sniffingprogressive
-
are sniffingprogressive
-
is sniffingprogressive
-
have been sniffingperfect progressive
-
has been sniffingperfect progressive
Past
-
sniffedsimple
-
had sniffedperfect
-
was sniffingprogressive
-
were sniffingprogressive
-
had been sniffingperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing sniff
Smell Words
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Growing Together" and "When I Grow Up"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, company leaders including Peter Thiel realized their technology could help the government sniff out terrorists.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 29, 2026
Lee reaches to sniff some hardy Cleveland sage 4.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 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
I sniff along the woven wall of twigs.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
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.
