noun Uncommon

whiff

wihf

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Whiff (noun) means a brief smell carried through the air, or a light gust of air. Example: “A whiff of fresh bread drifted out of the bakery door.”

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."

"She caught a whiff of his cologne as he walked past."

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 notes

In 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

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C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

Word forms

Plural: whiffs
Third person singular: whiffs
Past tense: whiffed
Comparative: more whiff
Superlative: most whiff

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

A _____ of fresh bread drifted out of the bakery door.

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 move in a weaving manner; (figuratively) to hesitate, vacillate”), from Old English wafian (“to wave”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- (“to braid, weave”); or ** wef (“a blow, stroke”), from weven (“to travel, wander; to move to and fro, flutter, waver; to blow something away, waft; to cause something to move; to fall; to cut deeply; to sever; to give up, yield; to give deference to; to avoid; to afflict, trouble; to beckon, signal”); further etymology uncertain, perhaps from Old English wefan (“to weave”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- (“to braid, weave”)), or from wǣfan (see bewǣfan, ymbwǣfan); and * partly onomatopoeic. Noun sense 6 (“name of a number of flatfish”) is possibly derived from sense 1 (“brief, gentle breeze; a light gust of air”), sense 4 (“small quantity of cloud, smoke, vapour, etc.”), and other such senses. The verb and adject

Origin: Middle English

Synonyms

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puff puff of air

Antonyms

oodles

Related words

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Rhymes for whiff

tiff biff riff diff jiff stiff cliff sniff skiff Griff spliff Schiff

See all rhymes for 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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