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
-
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.
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
As Kidd looks around and watches strangers become friends over a sniff of musk or jasmine, he reflects on part of the magic of the Smellers Club and other fragrance communities.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
Coleman was up against experienced and prolific forwards Paul McTiernan and Sean Flannery, but neither got a sniff against the raw but energetic youngster.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
This week, Brett Berk reports on efforts to develop AI-powered e-noses that can smell health conditions, sniff out airborne contaminants, or even develop perfumes more quickly and cheaply.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
Betsie began to sniff and sneeze, and Father decided that she must not sit behind the cashier’s table where the shop door let in the raw winter air.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
