noun
huff
huhf
noun
1
A fit of annoyance or offended pride.
"She stormed off in a huff after losing the argument."
verb
1
To breathe out heavily, especially in annoyance or exertion.
"He huffed and puffed as he climbed the stairs."
"She huffed loudly when told to wait her turn."
2
To react with irritation or wounded pride.
"He huffed at the suggestion that he was wrong."
3
(slang) To inhale a substance, especially a solvent, to get high.
"The article warned parents about teens huffing aerosol cans."
How to Use Huff
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo breathe out sharply in annoyance, or to be visibly irritated — also slang for inhaling drugs from an aerosol.
Common mistake
Don't confuse the everyday sense (annoyance) with the drug-related slang sense — context makes the difference clear.
Common pairings
huff and puff
in a huff
huff loudly
Word Forms
huffed past tense, huffs plural, Huffs plural, huffs singular
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She stormed off in a _____ after losing the argument.
Etymology
Probably an altered form of an older word meaning "to breathe hard, pant," related to a similar German word for breathing heavily.