Whiff is a word with several meanings. It can describe a light puff of air, the act of sniffingdrawing air through the nose to smell or investigate, a smoky exhalationbreathing out air, especially forcefully or as smoke from a pipe, or a baseball strikeoutan at-bat ending with three missed swings on three swings and misses. It is also used as a verb meaning to carry something off lightly, or to say something with a puff of air.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /hwɪf/
Easy pronunciation: WHIF (approximate spelling).
Stress: One syllable, so it is stressed.
This is the noun meaning a short light gust of air.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Whiff Meaning
a small puff of air
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a short light gust of air
Example: A whiff of cold air came through the open door.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- puff — A close match for a small burst of air.
- puff of air — Direct synonym for a light burst of air.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Whiff
Meaning 2
to sniff or smell briefly
Part of speech: verb
Definition: perceive by inhaling through the nose
Example: He whiffed the perfume and smiled.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- sniff — A natural substitute for inhaling through the nose.
Meaning 3
to smoke and blow out air or smoke
Part of speech: verb
Definition: smoke and exhale strongly
Example: He sat on the porch whiffing a pipe.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- puff — Works here in the sense of smoking and exhaling in puffs.
Meaning 4
to blow or carry away lightly
Part of speech: verb
Definition: drive or carry as if by a puff of air
Example: The gust of air whiffed away the clouds.
Meaning 5
a baseball strikeout on three misses
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a strikeout resulting from the batter swinging at and missing the ball for the third strike
Example: He struck out on a whiff in the ninth inning.
Meaning 6
to strike out by missing the third pitch
Part of speech: verb
Definition: strike out by swinging and missing the pitch charged as the third
Example: The batter whiffed on a high fastball.
Meaning 7
to speak or say softly with a breathy puff
Part of speech: verb
Definition: utter with a puff of air
Example: She whiffed out a prayer.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Whiff Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- puff
- puff of air
sniffing or perceiving by inhaling through the nose
- sniff
smoking and exhaling in puffs
- puff
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Using whiff to mean only a smell. In standard usage, the noun usually means a light puff of air, while the verb can mean to sniff, smoke in puffs, or strike out in baseball.
- Mixing up whiff and sniff. They can overlap in some contexts, but whiff is broader and has several unrelated senses.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does whiff mean in everyday English?
Most often, whiff means a light puff of air. It can also be used as a verb meaning to sniff, to smoke in puffs, or to strike out in baseball.
What are the best synonyms for whiff?
For the main noun sense, the best synonyms are puff and puff of air. Other senses use different synonyms, such as sniff for the nose-inhaling verb.
Is whiff a noun or a verb?
It can be both. The most common everyday sense is the noun meaning a light puff of air, but it also has several verb senses.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.