puff

The word “puff” means a short burst of breath, air, or smoke. In plain terms, a quick burst of air or breath — or, as a verb, to breathe hard, swell up, or oversell something.

“Puff” is pronounced puhf (/pʌf/ in IPA).

Here is “puff” used in a sentence: “A puff of smoke rose from the chimney.”

Depending on how it is used, “puff” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “puff” comes from Old English. From Old English pyf, "a blast of wind," of imitative (sound-based) origin.

“Puff” is an uncommon word in modern English.

“Puff” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a short burst of breath, air, or smoke.

"Puff" typically describes short, repeated bursts of breath or smoke, or breathing quickly and heavily from exertion, such as puffing up a hill. "Blow" is a more general term for forcing air out in a single or sustained action, without the same connotation of short bursts or exertion.

When something "puffs up," it swells or inflates, often used for bread rising, a bird fluffing its feathers, or a person's face swelling. It can also describe a person becoming figuratively inflated with pride.

To "puff" something in this sense means to praise it excessively, especially for promotional purposes, often exaggerating its qualities. This usage gives rise to the term "puff piece," describing an overly flattering article or review.