whiff

2 synonyms and 1 antonym for whiff, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A brief smell carried through the air, or a light gust of air.

Synonyms

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

puff

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

puff of air

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A brief smell carried through the air, or a light gust of air.

“A whiff of fresh bread drifted out of the bakery door.”

puff puff of air

2. noun

A slight hint or trace of something.

“There was a whiff of scandal surrounding the deal.”

Opposites

oodles

How to use whiff

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

a whiff of catch a whiff a faint whiff

Etymology

The noun is possibly: * partly a variant of Middle English wef, weffe (“bad smell, stench, stink; exhalation; vapour; tendency of something to go bad (?)”) [and other forms], possibly a variant of either: ** waf, waif, waife (“odour, scent”), possibly from waven (“to move to and fro, sway, wave; to stray, wander; to mo...

Full origin of whiff →

Frequently asked questions

What does “whiff” mean?

The word “whiff” means a brief smell carried through the air, or a light gust of air. In plain terms, a brief, faint trace of a smell — or, more loosely, a faint hint of some feeling or situation.

How do you pronounce “whiff”?

“Whiff” is pronounced wihf (/(h)wɪf/ in IPA).

How do you use “whiff” in a sentence?

Here is “whiff” used in a sentence: “A whiff of fresh bread drifted out of the bakery door.”

What part of speech is “whiff”?

“Whiff” is a noun.

Is “whiff” a common word?

“Whiff” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “whiff” have?

“Whiff” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a brief smell carried through the air, or a light gust of air.

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