puff

Meaning

Noun

1. A sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth.
2. The ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself.
3. A small quantity of gas or smoke in the air.
4. A sudden but small gust of wind, smoke, etc.
5. (informal) An act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe.
6. (slang) The drug cannabis.
7. A flamboyant or alluring statement of praise.
8. A portion of fabric gathered up so as to be left full in the middle.
9. A light cake filled with cream, cream cheese, etc.
10. A puffball.
11. A powder puff.
12. (slang) A puffer, one who is employed by the owner or seller of goods sold at auction to bid up the price; an act or scam of that type.
13. A region of a chromosome exhibiting a local increase in diameter.
14. (slang) Life.
15. (slang) Synonym of poof: a gay man; especially one who is effeminate.

Verb

1. To emit smoke, gas, etc., in puffs.
2. To pant.
3. To advertise.
4. To blow as an expression of scorn.
5. To swell with air; to be dilated or inflated.
6. To breathe in a swelling, inflated, or pompous manner; hence, to assume importance.
7. To drive with a puff, or with puffs.
8. To repel with words; to blow at contemptuously.
9. To cause to swell or dilate; to inflate.
10. To inflate with pride, flattery, self-esteem, etc.; often with up.
11. To praise with exaggeration; to flatter; to call public attention to by praises; to praise unduly.

Synonyms

blow

whiff

breath

smoke

pant

swell

drag

gust

waft

puff up

quilt

blast

powderpuff

huff

suck

puffery

inhale

blow up

gasp

pouf

pouffe

exhale

life

puff of air

distend

blowing

bulge

ottoman

breeze

suck in

advertise

draw

swelling

take in

powder puff

tone

chuff

puffed

puff out

pull

breathe heavily

hassock

comfort

heave

inflate

comforter

be puffed up

snort

bloat

mattress

morale

mouthful

mushroom

🍄

pad

person

🧑‍🦱

plug

popping

praise

protuberance

publicise

publicize

puffs

push

queer

review

shock

⚡

shoot up

show off

snowball

sonic boom

souffle

soul

spirit

spit

spraying

spread out

spurting

sputter

squirting

stuff

suckle

suck up

suction

surge

swash

swell up

take up

tout

tumefy

tumour

tune

turgidity

turgidness

upsurge

whistle

windbag

wisp

familiar spirit

gasp for breath

puff at

sop up

tumesce

short rest

become inflated

air

tumidness

quick blast

French pastry

advertorial

continental quilt

flacky

promo box

shock-wave noise

draft

draught

nose blow

adder

catch breath

advertize

aspirate

balloon

🎈

bedspread

bill

billow

bladder

blatancy

blister

blow into

boast

breathe out

bring up

buffet

bump

bun

bursting

cake

🍰

crescendo

cyst

dose

doughnut

🍩

draft

draught

draw in

dresser

duvet

dynamite

eiderdown

excrescence

exhalation

existence

familiar

fill out

flatulence

flatulency

flock

flurry

form

gay

genie

🧞

gush

gushing

head

inflation

jet

layered

lull

Pronounced as (IPA)

/pʌf/

Etymology

From Middle English puff, puf, from Old English pyf (“a blast of wind, puff”), imitative. Cognate with Middle Low German puf, pof.