Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense puffs, present participle puffing, past tense, past participle puffed
1. verb
If someone puffsat a cigarette, cigar, or pipe, they smoke it.
He lit a cigar and puffed at it twice. [V + at/on]
He nodded and puffed on a stubby pipe as he listened. [Vat/on n]
[Also V n, V]
Synonyms: smoke, draw, drag [slang], suck More Synonyms of puff
Puff is also a noun.
She was taking quick puffs at her cigarette.
2. verb
If you puff smoke or moisture from your mouth or if it puffs from your mouth, you breathe it out.
Richard puffed smoke towards the ceiling. [VERB noun]
The weather was dry and cold; wisps of steam puffed from their lips. [VERB preposition]
Puff out means the same as puff.
He puffed out a cloud of smoke. [VERBPARTICLE noun]
[Also VERB noun PARTICLE]
3. verb
If an engine, chimney, or boiler puffs smoke or steam, clouds of smoke or steam come out of it.
As I completed my 26th lap the Porsche puffed blue smoke. [VERB noun]
4. countable noun
A puff of something such as air or smoke is a small amount of it that is blown out from somewhere.
Wind caught the sudden puff of dust and blew it inland. [+ of]
5. verb [usually cont]
If you are puffing, you are breathing loudly and quickly with your mouth open because you are out of breath after a lot of physical effort.
I know nothing about boxing, but I could see he was unfit, because he was puffing. [VERB]
Synonyms: breathe heavily, pant, exhale, blow More Synonyms of puff
6. countable noun
A pufffor something such as a book, film, product, or organization is something that is done or said in order to attract people's attention and tell them how good it is.
[mainly US, informal]
Sometimes there is a gigantic puff for a commercial show.
Puff is also a verb.
He puffed the new system by showing how badly his existing system performed by comparison. [VERB noun]
7. countable noun
A puff is the same as a poof.
[British, informal, offensive]
8. See also puffed
Phrasal verbs:
See puff out
See puff up
More Synonyms of puff
puff in British English
(pʌf)
noun
1.
a short quick draught, gust, or emission, as of wind, smoke, air, etc, esp a forceful one
2.
the amount of wind, smoke, etc, released in a puff
3.
the sound made by or associated with a puff
4.
an instance of inhaling and expelling the breath as in smoking
5.
a swelling
6.
a light aerated pastry usually filled with cream, jam, etc
7.
a powder puff
8.
exaggerated praise, as of a book, product, etc, esp through an advertisement
9.
a piece of clothing fabric gathered up so as to bulge in the centre while being held together at the edges
10.
a loose piece of hair wound into a cylindrical roll, usually over a pad, and pinned in place in a coiffure
11. a less common word for quilt (sense 1)
12.
one's breath (esp in the phrase out of puff)
13. offensive, slang
a homosexual man
14. a dialect word for puffball
verb
15.
to blow or breathe or cause to blow or breathe in short quick draughts or blasts
16. (tr; often foll by out; usually passive)
to cause to be out of breath
17.
to take puffs or draws at (a cigarette, cigar, or pipe)
18.
to move with or by the emission of puffs
the steam train puffed up the incline
19. (often foll byup, out, etc)
to swell, as with air, pride, etc
20. (transitive)
to praise with exaggerated empty words, often in advertising
21. (transitive)
to apply (cosmetic powder) from a powder puff to (the face)
22.
to increase the price of (a lot in an auction) artificially by having an accomplice make false bids
Word origin
Old English pyffan; related to Dutch German puffen, Swiss pfuffen, Norwegian puffa, all of imitative origin
puff in American English
(pʌf)
noun
1.
a.
a short, sudden burst or gust, as of wind, or an expulsion, as of breath
b.
the sound of this
c.
a small quantity of vapor, smoke, etc. expelled at one time
2.
a draw at a cigarette, pipe, etc.
3.
a swelling, or a protuberance caused by swelling
4.
a shell of soft, light pastry filled with whipped cream, custard, etc.
5.
a soft, bulging mass of material, full in the middle and gathered in at the edges
6.
a soft roll of hair on the head
7.
a soft pad for dabbing powder on the skin or hair
8.
a quilted bed covering with cotton, wool, or down filling
9.
a. Archaic
vain show; bluff
b.
an advertisement, review, etc., as of a book, containing undue or exaggerated praise
verb intransitive
10.
to blow in puffs, as the wind
11.
a.
to give forth puffs of smoke, steam, etc.
b.
to breathe rapidly and hard, as from running
12.
to move, giving forth puffs
with away, out, in, etc.
13.
to come in puffs, as smoke
14.
a.
to fill (out or up), as with air
b.
to become inflated, as with pride
with out or up
c.
to swell (out or up), as skin tissue
15.
to take a puff or puffs at a cigarette, pipe, etc.
verb transitive
16.
to blow, drive, give forth, etc. in or with a puff or puffs
17.
to swell; distend; inflate
18.
to praise unduly
19.
to write or print a puff of
to puff a novel
20.
to smoke (a cigarette, pipe, etc.)
21.
to set (the hair) in soft, round masses or rolls
Word origin
ME puffen < OE pyffan, of echoic orig.
Synonyms of 'puff'
smoke, draw, drag, suck
breathe heavily, pant, exhale, blow
promote, push, plug, hype
drag, pull, smoke
blast, breath, flurry, whiff
advertisement, ad, promotion, plug
bulge, bunching, swelling
More Synonyms of puff
In other languages
puff
British English: puff VERB
If someone puffs at a cigarette, cigar, or pipe, they smoke it.
He lit a cigar and puffed at it twice.
American English: puff
Brazilian Portuguese: baforar
Chinese: 抽 >香烟、雪茄、烟斗等
European Spanish: dar caladas
French: tirer
German: paffen
Italian: tirare boccate
Japanese: 吹かす
Korean: > 피우다담배를
European Portuguese: baforar
Latin American Spanish: dar pitadas
All related terms of 'puff'
puff-puff
a children's name for a steam locomotive or railway train
puff up
If part of your body puffs up as a result of an injury or illness , it becomes swollen .
jam puff
a small pastry with fruit jam inside it
puff out
If you puff out your cheeks , you make them larger and rounder by filling them with air.
cream puff
a shell of light pastry with a custard or cream filling
curry puff
(in eastern cookery ) a type of pie or pasty consisting of a pastry case containing curried meat and vegetables
powder puff
a soft pad or ball of fluffy material used for applying cosmetic powder to the skin
puff adder
a large venomous African viper , Bitis arietans, that is yellowish-grey with brown markings and inflates its body when alarmed
puff pastry
Puff pastry is a type of pastry which is very light and consists of a lot of thin layers.
puff piece
a flattering newspaper or magazine article about a person or an organization
puff sleeves
the sleeves of a women's garment that are gathered at the shoulders and caught in at the cuff to create an inflated , puffy effect
huff and puff
If someone huffs and puffs , they express their annoyance or dissatisfaction with a decision or situation loudly but do not do anything to change it.
rough puff pastry
a rich flaky pastry made with butter and used for pie-crusts, flans , etc
puffball
A puffball is a round fungus which bursts when it is ripe and sends a cloud of seeds into the air .
hognose snake
puff adder
Chinese translation of 'puff'
puff
(pʌf)
n(c)
(on cigarette, pipe)
to take a puff吸一口 (xī yī kǒu)
(= gasp) 喘息 (chuǎnxī)
vi
(= pant) 喘气(氣) (chuǎnqì)
to puff on or at sth[cigarette, pipe]吸某物 (xī mǒuwù)
a puff of wind/air/smoke一阵(陣)风(風)/空气(氣)/烟(煙) (yī zhèn fēng/kōngqì/yān)
All related terms of 'puff'
puff out
( one's chest, cheeks ) 鼓起 gǔqǐ
puff pastry
松(鬆)饼(餅) sōngbǐng
to take a puff
吸一口 xī yī kǒu
to puff on or at sth
( cigarette, pipe ) 吸某物 xī mǒuwù
a puff of wind/air/smoke
一阵(陣)风(風)/空气(氣)/烟(煙) yī zhèn fēng/kōngqì/yān
1 (verb)
Definition
to take draws at (a cigarette)
He gave a wry smile as he puffed on his cigarette.
Synonyms
smoke
He didn't argue, he just quietly smoked a cigarette.
draw
He paused, drawing a deep breath.
drag (slang)
He got up and dragged his chair towards the table.
suck
The air is sucked out by a high-powered fan.
inhale
pull at or on
2 (verb)
Definition
to blow or breathe in short quick blasts
I could see he was unfit, because he was puffing.
Synonyms
breathe heavily
pant
He was panting with the effort of the climb.
exhale
blow
He ran from door to door, puffing and blowing.
gasp
He gasped for air before being pulled under again.
gulp
He slumped back, gulping for air.
wheeze
His chest problems made him wheeze constantly.
fight for breath
puff and pant
3 (verb)
TV correspondents puffing the new digital channels
Synonyms
promote
He has announced a full British tour to promote his new album.
push
Advertisers often use scientific doublespeak to push their products.
plug (informal)
If I hear another actor plugging his latest book I will scream.
hype
We had to hype the film to attract the financiers.
publicize
The author appeared on TV to publicize her latest book.
advertise
Religious groups are not allowed to advertise on TV.
It has been much advertised in specialist magazines.
praise
crack up (informal)
big up (slang)
overpraise
1 (noun)
Definition
an act of inhaling and expelling cigarette smoke
She was taking quick puffs at her cigarette.
Synonyms
drag
pull (slang)
He took a deep pull of his cigarette.
smoke
2 (noun)
Definition
the amount of wind or smoke released in a puff
an occasional puff of air stirring the brittle leaves
Synonyms
blast
Blasts of cold air swept down from the mountains.
breath
Not even a breath of wind stirred the pine branches.
flurry
A flurry of snowflakes was scudding by the window.
whiff
At the first whiff of smoke, the alarm will go off.
draught
Block draughts around doors and windows.
gust
A gust of wind drove down the valley.
emanation
3 (noun)
an elaborate puff for his magazine
Synonyms
advertisement
She recently placed an advertisement in the local paper.
ad (informal)
promotion
plug (informal)
The show was little more than a plug for her new film.
good word
commendation
sales talk
namecheck
favourable mention
piece of publicity
4 (noun)
Synonyms
bulge
Why won't those bulges on your hips and thighs go?
bunching
swelling
There is some swelling and he is being detained for observation.
phrasal verb
See puff out or up
Additional synonyms
in the sense of advertise
Definition
to present or praise (goods or a service) to the public, in order to encourage sales
Religious groups are not allowed to advertise on TV.It has been much advertised in specialist magazines.
Synonyms
publicize,
promote,
plug (informal),
announce,
publish,
push (informal),
display,
declare,
broadcast,
advise,
inform,
praise,
proclaim,
puff,
hype,
notify,
tout,
flaunt,
crack up (informal),
promulgate,
make known,
apprise,
beat the drum (informal),
blazon,
bring to public notice
in the sense of blow
Definition
to breathe hard
He ran from door to door, puffing and blowing.
Synonyms
puff,
breathe,
pant,
gasp,
gulp,
wheeze,
exhale
in the sense of breath
Definition
to impart
Not even a breath of wind stirred the pine branches.
Synonyms
gust,
sigh,
puff,
flutter,
flurry,
whiff,
draught,
waft,
zephyr,
slight movement,
faint breeze
Nearby words of
puff
pudding
puddle
puerile
puff
puff out or up
puffed
puffed up
Related terms of
puff
puff out or up
Synonyms of 'puff'
puff
Explore 'puff' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of draught
Definition
a current of cold air, usually one coming into a room or vehicle
Block draughts around doors and windows.
Synonyms
breeze,
current,
wind,
movement,
flow,
puff,
influx,
gust,
current of air
in the sense of draw
He paused, drawing a deep breath.
Synonyms
inhale,
breathe in,
pull,
inspire,
suck,
respire
in the sense of flurry
Definition
a light gust of wind or rain, or fall of snow
A flurry of snowflakes was scudding by the window.
Synonyms
gust,
shower,
gale,
swirl,
squall,
storm
in the sense of gasp
Definition
to draw in the breath sharply or with difficulty
He gasped for air before being pulled under again.
Synonyms
pant,
blow,
puff,
choke,
gulp,
fight for breath,
catch your breath
in the sense of gulp
Definition
to gasp or breathe in violently, for example when nervous or when swimming
He slumped back, gulping for air.
Synonyms
gasp,
swallow,
choke
in the sense of gust
Definition
a sudden blast of wind
A gust of wind drove down the valley.
Synonyms
blast,
blow,
rush,
breeze,
puff,
gale,
flurry,
squall
in the sense of hype
Definition
to market or promote (a commodity) using intensive or exaggerated publicity
We had to hype the film to attract the financiers.
Synonyms
publicize,
push,
promote,
advertise,
build up,
plug (informal),
puff (up),
talk up (informal)
in the sense of pant
Definition
to breathe with noisy gasps after exertion
He was panting with the effort of the climb.
Synonyms
puff,
blow,
breathe,
gasp,
throb,
wheeze,
huff,
heave,
palpitate
in the sense of plug
Definition
to make frequent favourable mentions of (a product etc.), for example on television
If I hear another actor plugging his latest book I will scream.
Synonyms
mention,
push,
promote,
publicize,
advertise,
build up,
puff,
hype,
write up,
namecheck
in the sense of plug
Definition
a favourable mention of a product etc., for example on television, to encourage people to buy it
The show was little more than a plug for her new film.
Synonyms
mention,
advertisement,
advert (British),
push,
promotion,
publicity,
puff,
hype,
good word,
namecheck
Additional synonyms
in the sense of publicize
Definition
to bring to public attention
The author appeared on TV to publicize her latest book.
Synonyms
advertise,
promote,
plug (informal),
hype,
push,
spotlight,
puff,
play up,
write up,
spread about,
beat the drum for (informal),
give publicity to,
bring to public notice
in the sense of pull
Definition
the act of taking in drink or smoke
He took a deep pull of his cigarette.
Synonyms
puff,
drag (slang),
inhalation
in the sense of push
Definition
to be an advocate or promoter (of)
Advertisers often use scientific doublespeak to push their products.
Synonyms
promote,
advertise,
hype,
publicize,
boost,
plug (informal),
puff,
make known,
propagandize,
cry up (old-fashioned)
in the sense of suck
Definition
to draw in (fluid) as if by sucking
The air is sucked out by a high-powered fan.
Synonyms
take,
draw,
pull,
extract
in the sense of swelling
Definition
an enlargement of a part of the body as the result of injury or infection
There is some swelling and he is being detained for observation.
Synonyms
enlargement,
lump,
puffiness,
bump,
blister,
bulge,
inflammation,
dilation,
protuberance,
distension,
tumescence
in the sense of wheeze
Definition
to breathe with a rasping or whistling sound
His chest problems made him wheeze constantly.
Synonyms
gasp,
whistle,
cough,
hiss,
rasp,
catch your breath,
breathe roughly
in the sense of whiff
Definition
a passing odour
At the first whiff of smoke, the alarm will go off.