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puff

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puff¹

  • /pʌf/ US, UK
  • /pɐf/ Australia, New Zealand
  • /pʊf/ Northern England

Rhymes with -ʌf

Where it comes from

From Middle English puff, puf, from Old English pyf (“a blast of wind, puff”), from Proto-West Germanic *puf(f)- (“to blow, puff”), of imitative origin. Cognate with Dutch puf (“puff, wind, fart”), Middle Low German puf, pof (“puff”).

noun puffs

  1. countable A sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth.
  2. slang, uncountable The ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself. out of puff

    Similar: wind

  3. countable A small quantity of gas or smoke in the air. puff of smoke
  4. countable A sudden but small gust of wind, smoke, etc. to every puff of wind a slave
  5. countable, informal An act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe. When I went to bed that night I found that I could not get to sleep. At five o'clock I got up and took a hot bath. I climbed back into bed and lighted one of the Chinese-made "Great Wall" cigars my hosts had thoughtfully provided, and sat puffing on the cigar and making notes about the events of the

    Similar: drag

  6. slang, uncountable The drug cannabis.

    Similar: bhang, benj, boo, broccoli, bud, buddha, cannabis, cheeba, choof, daccha, dank, devil's lettuce

  7. countable A flamboyant or alluring statement of praise. […] though I care not one straw for the personal puffs of which I myself am so often the subject […]
  8. countable, uncountable A portion of fabric gathered up so as to be left full in the middle. a sleeve with a puff at the shoulder
  9. countable A light cake filled with cream, cream cheese, etc. cream puff

    Similar: pastry, cream puff

  10. countable, uncountable A puffball. Bozzacchio, an acorne. Also a puffe or mushrump full of dust.
  11. countable, uncountable A powder puff.
  12. countable, dated, slang, uncountable A puffer, one who is employed by the owner or seller of goods sold at auction to bid up the price.
  13. countable, dated, slang, uncountable A scam of that kind. Is nothing to be said in praise of the "Emporiums" and "Repositories" and "Divans," which formerly were mere insignificant tailors', toymen's, and tobacconists' shops? Is the transition from the barber's pole to the revolving bust of the perruquier, nothing? — the leap from the bare counter-traverse
  14. countable, uncountable A region of a chromosome exhibiting a local increase in diameter.
  15. UK, countable, dated, slang, uncountable Life. Isn't this the chance of a lifetime? Have either of you ever made a couple of quids at once in your puff before—pinching goods from the back of delivery vans and smooching lead off empty houses?
  16. Northern England, countable, derogatory, slang, uncountable Synonym of poof: a gay man; especially one who is effeminate.

    Similar: poof

puff²

  • /pʌf/ US, UK
  • /pɐf/ Australia, New Zealand
  • /pʊf/ Northern England

Rhymes with -ʌf

Where it comes from

From Middle English puffen, from Old English pyffan (“to breathe out, blow with the mouth”). Compare Dutch puffen, German Low German puffen, German puffen, Danish puffe, Swedish puffa.

verb puffs · puffing · puffed

  1. intransitive To emit smoke, gas, etc., in puffs. Still on the down line, the engine puffed away to the South, and in a few moments had disappeared in the darkness!
  2. intransitive To pant. By and by comes the ass back again, Puffing and Blowing, from the Chase.
  3. archaic, transitive To advertise.
  4. To blow as an expression of scorn. It is really to defy Heaven to puff at damnation.
  5. To swell with air; to be dilated or inflated. 'tis easy for a man to have a great opinion of his own knowledge , and be puff'd up by it
  6. To breathe in a swelling, inflated, or pompous manner; hence, to assume importance. Then came brave Glory puffing by.
  7. To drive with a puff, or with puffs. The clearing north will puff the clouds away.
  8. To repel with words; to blow at contemptuously. I puff the prostitute away.
  9. To cause to swell or dilate; to inflate. a bladder puffed with air
  10. To inflate with pride, flattery, self-esteem, etc.; often with up. puffed up with military success
  11. To praise with exaggeration; to flatter; to call public attention to by praises; to praise unduly. puffed with wonderful skill

    Similar: jolly, lay it on thick, soothe, brush up to, collogue, flatter, flatterize, glaver, gloze, make fair weather, palaver, preen

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: puff up, puff out, pant, gasp, blow, huff, blow up, whiff, pull, chuff, quilt, heave, draw, fancy, drag, comforter

Translations

Every language

noun sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth

Españolbocanada, vaharada
हिन्दीफूंक phūṅk, दम dam, कश kaś, फूँक phū̃k
Portuguêssopro
Françaissouffle
DeutschHauch, Atemstoß, Windstoß
Italianosbuffo
Ελληνικάφυσηξιά fysixiá, φύσημα fýsima

noun ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself

Españolresuello
हिन्दीफूंक phūṅk, दम dam, कश kaś
Portuguêsfôlego
Françaissouffle
DeutschPuste, Atem
Italianofiato, respiro
Русскийдыхалка dyxalka

noun small quantity of gas or smoke in the air

Españolbocanada
Portuguêsbaforada
Françaisbouffée
DeutschSprühstoß, Hub
Italianosoffio, sbuffo, refolo, spiffero, boccata

noun informal: act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe

Españolchupada, fumada
日本語一服 ippuku
Portuguêspitada
Françaisbouffée, taffe, latte
DeutschZug
Italianoboccata, tirata
Ελληνικάρουφηξιά roufixiá, τζούρα tzoúra
Românăpuf
Русскийзатя́жка zatjážka

noun slang: cannabis

Portuguêserva, maconha
DeutschGras
Italianospinello
Ελληνικάμπάφος báfos
Русскийтравка travka, анаша anaša

noun type of cake

日本語シュー shū, パフ pafu
中文泡芙 pàofú
Portuguêsprofiterole
DeutschWindbeutel
Italianobombolone, bignè, pasta sfoglia
Русскийпрофитроль profitrolʹ

verb to emit smoke, gas, etc., in puffs

हिन्दीफूँकना phū̃knā
Deutschpuffen, verpuffen, paffen, blasen, pusten
Italianouscire a sbuffi, sbuffare
Ελληνικάαγκομαχάω agkomacháo

verb to advertise

Deutschwerben, anpreisen
Italianodecantare, incensare

Talk about this word

Cite this
MLA

"puff." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/puff. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

puff. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/puff

Chicago

"puff." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/puff.

BibTeX
@misc{puff_2026,
  title = {puff},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/puff},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}