noun
whiff
wihf
noun
1
A brief smell carried through the air, or a light gust of air.
"A whiff of fresh bread drifted out of the bakery door."
"She caught a whiff of his cologne as he walked past."
2
A slight hint or trace of something.
"There was a whiff of scandal surrounding the deal."
"You could sense a whiff of tension in the meeting."
How to Use Whiff
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA brief, faint trace of a smell — or, more loosely, a faint hint of some feeling or situation.
Common pairings
a whiff of
catch a whiff
a faint whiff
Word Forms
more whiff comparative, whiffed past tense, whiffs plural, whiffs singular, most whiff superlative
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A _____ of fresh bread drifted out of the bakery door.