Standard Lemma guide

huff

name · noun · verb · 21 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /hʌf/
  • homophone: huff
  • rhymes with -ʌf
  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /hʌf/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian, New-Zealand: /hɐf/
  • Northern-England: /hʊf/
  • CMU ARPABET: HH AH1 F Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

A surname.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

name

Meaning 2

A number of places in the United States:

A township in Spencer County, Indiana, named after Aquilia Huff.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

name

Meaning 3

A number of places in the United States:

An unincorporated community in Edmonson County, Kentucky, named for the Huff family.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

name

Meaning 4

A number of places in the United States:

An unincorporated community in Franklin County, Missouri, probably named after settler Andrew Huff.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

name

Meaning 5

A number of places in the United States:

An unincorporated community in Morton County, North Dakota, near the Huff Archeological Site.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

name

Meaning 6

A number of places in the United States:

A ghost town in Archer County, Texas, named after Charles C. Huff.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A heavy breath; a grunt or sigh.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • With a huff, he lifted the box onto the back of the truck.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

A condition of anger, annoyance, disgust, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • in a huff

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

One swelled with a false sense of importance or value; a boaster.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

The act of removing an opponent's piece as a forfeit for deliberately not taking a piece (often signalled by blowing on it).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: draughts

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To breathe heavily.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • The run left him huffing and puffing.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To say in a huffy manner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

To enlarge; to swell up.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • Bread huffs.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

14

verb

Meaning 14

To bluster or swell with anger, arrogance, or pride; to storm; to take offense.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

15

verb

Meaning 15

To treat with arrogance and insolence; to chide or rebuke rudely; to bully, to hector.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

16

verb

Meaning 16

To vex; to offend.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

17

verb

Meaning 17

To inhale psychoactive inhalants.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

18

verb

Meaning 18

To remove an opponent's piece as a forfeit for deliberately not taking a piece (often signalled by blowing on it).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Qualifier: draughts

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

19

noun

Meaning 19

a state of irritation or annoyance

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: miff, seeing red

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: irritation, annoyance, vexation, botheration

20

verb

Meaning 20

blow hard and loudly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he huffed and puffed as he made his way up the mountain

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: puff, chuff

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: blow

21

verb

Meaning 21

inhale recreational drugs

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The addict was snorting cocaine almost every day
  • the kids were huffing glue

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: snort

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: inhale, inspire, breathe in

History

Etymology

Probably an altered spelling of earlier *hough, represented by Scots hech (“to breathe hard, pant”). Compare also German hauchen (“to breathe”).

Across languages

Translations

30 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • German: Verärgerung — condition of anger, annoyance, disgust etc.
  • Irish: stuaic — condition of anger, annoyance, disgust etc.
  • Ottoman Turkish: اوفكه (ufke, öfke) — condition of anger, annoyance, disgust etc.
  • Ottoman Turkish: قیزغینلق (kızgınlık) — condition of anger, annoyance, disgust etc.
  • Bulgarian: пухтя (puhtja) — to breathe heavily
  • Finnish: huohottaa — to breathe heavily
  • Finnish: puhkua — to breathe heavily
  • Finnish: puhista — to breathe heavily
  • French: souffler — to breathe heavily
  • French: souffler comme un bœuf — to breathe heavily
  • German: schnauben — to breathe heavily
  • German: heftig schnaufen — to breathe heavily
  • Hindi: हाँफना (hā̃phnā) — to breathe heavily
  • Russian: пыхтеть (pyxtetʹ) — to breathe heavily
  • Spanish: resoplar — to breathe heavily
  • Spanish: resollar — to breathe heavily
  • German: aufquellen — to enlarge; to swell up
  • German: aufgehen — to enlarge; to swell up
  • Finnish: tuhahtaa — to bluster or swell with anger, arrogance, or pride; to storm; to take offense
  • German: aufblasen — to bluster or swell with anger, arrogance, or pride; to storm; to take offense
  • German: (vor Wut) schnauben — to bluster or swell with anger, arrogance, or pride; to storm; to take offense
  • German: mächtig aufregen — to bluster or swell with anger, arrogance, or pride; to storm; to take offense
  • German: aufbauen vor — to treat with arrogance and insolence; to chide or rebuke rudely; to bully, to hector
  • German: einschüchternd behandeln — to treat with arrogance and insolence; to chide or rebuke rudely; to bully, to hector
  • Chinese Mandarin: 吸 (xī) — to inhale psychoactive inhalants
  • Finnish: impata — to inhale psychoactive inhalants
  • French: sniffer — to inhale psychoactive inhalants
  • German: reinziehen — to inhale psychoactive inhalants
  • Russian: нюхать (njuxatʹ) — to inhale psychoactive inhalants
  • Russian: нюхнуть (njuxnutʹ) — to inhale psychoactive inhalants