sniffle

American  

[snif-uhl] / ˈsnɪf əl /

verb (used without object)

sniffled, sniffling

1. to sniff repeatedly, as from a head cold or in repressing tears.

   She sniffled woefully.

---

noun

1. an act or sound of sniffling.

2. (the) sniffles, a condition, as a cold, marked by sniffling.

   This draft is giving me the sniffles.

sniffle British  

/ ˈsnɪfəl /

verb

1. (intr) to breathe audibly through the nose, as when the nasal passages are congested

---

noun

1. the act, sound, or an instance of sniffling

Other Word Forms

• sniffler
  noun
• sniffly
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of sniffle

First recorded in 1625–35; sniff + -le

Example Sentences

At the first sign of a sniffle or stormy weather ahead Lourdes Lopez keeps her 10-year-old daughter, Alison, home from school.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2023

"Pastina is the cure for any cold, sore throat or sniffle," Ali Abene Dahlhaus wrote on Facebook.

From Salon • Jan. 11, 2023

It’s a sniffle, a tickle in the throat and a headache.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 30, 2022

“What could be a sniffle for them could end up putting your baby in the hospital.”

From Washington Post • Dec. 15, 2022

She set down the box of crackers and got up slowly, starting to sniffle.

From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd

Related Words

• choke
• snort
• whoop