sniff
verb /snɪf/
/snɪf/
Verb Forms
Idioms Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they sniff | /snɪf/ /snɪf/ |
| he / she / it sniffs | /snɪfs/ /snɪfs/ |
| past simple sniffed | /snɪft/ /snɪft/ |
| past participle sniffed | /snɪft/ /snɪft/ |
| -ing form sniffing | /ˈsnɪfɪŋ/ /ˈsnɪfɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive] to breathe air in through your nose in a way that makes a sound, especially when you are crying, have a cold, etc.
- We all had colds and couldn't stop sniffing and sneezing.
- She sniffed a little and dabbed at her eyes.
Extra Examples- The woman sniffed back her tears.
- He sniffed loudly and continued to weep.
- She sniffed and wiped her nose with a tissue.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- loudly
- deeply
- a little
- …
- at
- [transitive, intransitive] to breathe air in through the nose in order to discover or enjoy the smell of something synonym smell
- sniff something sniffing the fresh morning air
- to sniff glue
- sniff (at something) The dog sniffed at my shoes.
- He sniffed appreciatively. ‘Smells delicious. What is it?’
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- loudly
- deeply
- a little
- …
- at
- [transitive, intransitive] + speech | sniff (something) to say something in a way that shows that you are annoyed, unhappy or not satisfied or that you do not approve of somebody/something
- ‘It's hardly what I'd call elegant,’ she sniffed.
Word OriginMiddle English: imitative.
Idioms
not to be sniffed/sneezed at
- (informal) good enough to be accepted or considered seriously
- In those days, $20 was not a sum to be sniffed at.