Phrase guide

puff out

verb · 4 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.

No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To inflate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ambitransitive

Examples

  • He puffed out his cheeks.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To blow briefly and lightly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • He puffed out a perfect smoke ring.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To emit puffs of smoke or exhaust

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, transitive

Examples

  • The engine puffed out white smoke.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

to swell or cause to enlarge,

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Her faced puffed up from the drugs
  • puffed out chests

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: puff, puff up, blow up

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: swell, swell up, intumesce, tumefy, tumesce

History

Etymology

puff + out

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: nafouknout — To inflate
  • Czech: nadout — To inflate
  • Czech: nadouvat — To inflate
  • Czech: dmout — To inflate
  • Czech: nadmout — To inflate
  • German: aufblasen — To inflate
  • German: aufblähen — To inflate
  • Māori: whakatāmoumou — To inflate
  • Russian: надувать (naduvatʹ) — To inflate
  • Ottoman Turkish: شیشمك (şişmek) — To inflate
  • Ottoman Turkish: قبارمق (kabarmak) — To inflate
  • Russian: поддувать (podduvatʹ) — To blow briefly and lightly