sniff
Americanverb (used without object)
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to draw air through the nose in short, audible inhalations.
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to clear the nose by so doing; sniffle.
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to smell by short inhalations.
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to show disdain, contempt, etc., by or as by sniffing.
verb (used with object)
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to perceive by or as by smelling.
to sniff a scandal.
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to inhale through the nose.
to sniff the air.
noun
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an act of sniffing; a single, short, audible inhalation.
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the sound made by such an act.
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a scent or odor perceived.
a sniff of perfume.
verb
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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
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to perceive or attempt to perceive (a smell) by inhaling through the nose
noun
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the act or sound of sniffing
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a smell perceived by sniffing, esp a faint scent
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have sniffedperfect
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has sniffedperfect 3rd person singular
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am sniffingprogressive 1st person singular
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has been sniffingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is sniffingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are sniffingprogressive
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sniffssingular 3rd person
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have been sniffingperfect progressive
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sniffingparticiple
Past
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had sniffedperfect
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was sniffingprogressive singular
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had been sniffingperfect progressive
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sniffedparticiple
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were sniffingprogressive plural
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sniffedsimple
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
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"Growing Together" and "When I Grow Up"
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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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.
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
This is the evidence Robinson believes can be England's X-factor at the World Cup, irrespective of those "purists" who may sniff at such an approach.
From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026
The e-noses can sniff out the unique signatures of volatile organic compounds not only in the breath, but in excretions like sweat or urine, and have AI quickly identify them.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026
I hold Javier’s book to my nose and sniff.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
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.
