whiff

¹ American  

[hwif, wif] / ʰwɪf, wɪf /

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.

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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 American  

[hwif, wif] / ʰwɪf, wɪf /

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.

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whiff ¹ British  

/ wɪf /

noun

1. a passing odour

2. a brief gentle gust of air

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

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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 British  

/ wɪf /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

• whiffer noun

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

A whiff of lemongrass and wet soil tickle the nose in Palli Fleischer Lyberth's vertical farm in Sisimiut, the second-largest town in the Danish autonomous territory.

From Barron's • Feb. 17, 2026

A whiff of fresh corn could draw a crowd quicker than any barker’s repetitive shout.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

It is also possible that some voters will dislike any whiff of disloyalty and division and express themselves accordingly.

From BBC • Feb. 13, 2026

Its results come in a tumultuous week for stocks, as Wall Street has taken a sell-now, ask-questions-later approach to companies and sectors with even a whiff of worries about AI disruption.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 13, 2026

Fadi rolled down the window to let in fresh air, and he caught a whiff of freshly baked bread.

From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai

Related Words

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