whiff

¹

[hwif, wif]

noun

1. a trace or hint.

   a whiff of scandal.

2. a slight trace of odor or smell.

   a whiff of onions.

3. a slight gust or puff of wind, air, vapor, smoke, or the like.

   a whiff of fresh air.

4. a single inhalation or exhalation of air, tobacco smoke, or the like.

   I tried smoking once, but had a coughing fit after the first whiff and gave up.

5. a slight outburst.

   a little whiff of temper.

verb (used without object)

1. to blow or come in light puffs, such as of wind or smoke.

   A breeze whiffed through the clearing, cooling our faces.

2. to inhale or exhale in light puffs, such as when smoking tobacco.

   She was sitting on the porch, whiffing on a cigarette.

3. to move swiftly through the air, creating a slight breeze or swishing sound.

   The ball whiffed past my head and into the net.

4. Baseball.

   1. to swing without hitting the ball.

      He’s whiffed at 30 percent of pitches this season.

   2. (of a batter) to strike out by swinging at and missing the pitch charged as the third strike.

5. Informal.,  to fail in an effort or get something wrong.

   This economic think tank has whiffed on every prediction for the last decade.

verb (used with object)

1. to blow or drive with light puffs, as the wind does.

2. to inhale or exhale (air, tobacco smoke, etc.) in light puffs.

3. to smoke (a pipe, cigar, etc.).

4. Baseball.,  (of a pitcher) to cause (a batter) to swing at a pitch and miss or to strike out.

5. Informal.,  to fail at or in; get wrong.

   The book had a great beginning, but lost steam as it progressed, and totally whiffed the ending.

   He’s whiffed every opportunity we gave him.

6. to catch a slight scent or hint of; sniff; smell.

   I broke a small branch off the lilac bush and whiffed the blooms as I walked.

whiff

²

[hwif, wif]

noun

1. any of several flatfishes having both eyes on the left side of the head, of the genus Citharichthys, as C. cornutus horned whiff, inhabiting Atlantic waters from New England to Brazil.

whiff

¹

/ wɪf /

noun

1. a passing odour

2. a brief gentle gust of air

3. a single inhalation or exhalation from the mouth or nose

verb

1. to come, convey, or go in whiffs; puff or waft

2. to take in or breathe out (tobacco smoke, air, etc)

3. (tr) to sniff or smell

4. slang,  (intr) to have an unpleasant smell; stink

whiff

²

/ wɪf /

noun

1. a narrow clinker-built skiff having outriggers, for one oarsman

Other Word Forms

• whiffer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of whiff¹

First recorded in 1600–10; origin uncertain; perhaps a variant of Middle English wef, wef(f)e “bad smell, stench”

Origin of whiff²

First recorded in 1705–15; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of whiff¹

C16: of imitative origin

Origin of whiff²

C19: special use of _whiff ¹

Example Sentences

Zhao has him whiff it so that Mescal can say the lines again, louder.

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There’s a whiff of PBS to the way the musical unfolds.

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I get close enough to catch a whiff of Woo’s scent—a musky combination of wet fur and cheesy pizza grease.

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There was the faintest whiff of herring, too, for it would take more than one washing to get that smell out of a thick knitted sweater.

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The children were restless, too, and their noses twitched in hopes of catching another whiff of whoever their unseen visitor had been.

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Related Words

• aroma 
• breath 
• fume 
• hint 
• odor 
• puff 
• scent