verb
Meaning 1
To inflate with air.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
- We puffed up the balloons.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Phrase guide
puff up
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
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verb
Meaning 2
To fluff up, such as an animal raising its fur or feathers to appear larger or conserve body heat.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, transitive
Examples
- Small birds puff up while sleeping to keep warm.
- The angry cat hissed and puffed up its fur.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
To swell due to injury or illness.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
- My hand puffed up where the cat had scratched me.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 4
To become proud. (Often written as puffed up with pride.)
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 5
To trump up.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 6
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, blow up, puff out
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: swell, swell up, intumesce, tumefy, tumesce
verb
Meaning 7
make larger or distend
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- The estimates were puffed up
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: inflate, blow up, expand, amplify
verb
Meaning 8
praise extravagantly
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- The critics puffed up this Broadway production
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: puff
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: praise
verb
Meaning 9
become filled with pride, arrogance, or anger
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- The mother was swelling with importance when she spoke of her son
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: swell
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: act, behave, do
History
Etymology
No etymology was provided for this word.
Across languages
Translations
48 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: надувам (naduvam) — to inflate with air
- Bulgarian: надуя (naduja) — to inflate with air
- Finnish: täyttää — to inflate with air
- Finnish: puhaltaa — to inflate with air
- French: gonfler — to inflate with air
- German: aufblasen — to inflate with air
- Ancient Greek: φυσιόω (phusióō) — to inflate with air
- Latin: sufflo — to inflate with air
- Macedonian: се надувува (se naduvuva) — to inflate with air
- Russian: надува́ть (naduvátʹ) — to inflate with air
- Russian: наду́ть (nadútʹ) — to inflate with air
- Spanish: inflar — to inflate with air
- Bulgarian: надувам се (naduvam se) — to become fluffy
- Bulgarian: надуя се (naduja se) — to become fluffy
- Dutch: pluizen — to become fluffy
- Finnish: pöyhistyä — to become fluffy
- Finnish: pörhistyä — to become fluffy
- German: plustern — to become fluffy
- German: aufplustern — to become fluffy
- Māori: whakakenakena — to become fluffy
- Russian: надува́ться (naduvátʹsja) — to become fluffy
- Russian: наду́ться (nadútʹsja) — to become fluffy
- Russian: нахо́хливаться (naxóxlivatʹsja) — to become fluffy
- Russian: нахо́хлиться (naxóxlitʹsja) — to become fluffy
- Turkish: kabarmak — to become fluffy
- Bulgarian: подувам се (poduvam se) — to swell due to injury
- Bulgarian: подуя се (poduja se) — to swell due to injury
- Dutch: opzwellen — to swell due to injury
- Finnish: turvota — to swell due to injury
- French: enfler — to swell due to injury
- German: anschwellen — to swell due to injury
- Russian: раздува́ться (razduvátʹsja) — to swell due to injury
- Russian: разду́ться (razdútʹsja) — to swell due to injury
- Russian: распуха́ть (raspuxátʹ) — to swell due to injury
- Russian: распу́хнуть (raspúxnutʹ) — to swell due to injury
- Spanish: hincharse — to swell due to injury
- Ottoman Turkish: شیشمك (şişmek) — to swell due to injury
- Ottoman Turkish: قبارمق (kabarmak) — to swell due to injury
- Bulgarian: надувам се (naduvam se) — to become proud
- Bulgarian: надуя се (naduja se) — to become proud
- Finnish: paisua ylpeydestä — to become proud
- Finnish: röyhistää — to become proud
- Ancient Greek: τυφόω (tuphóō) — to become proud
- Macedonian: кочопери (kočoperi) — to become proud
- Russian: надува́ться (naduvátʹsja) — to become proud
- Russian: наду́ться (nadútʹsja) — to become proud
- Scottish Gaelic: sèid — to become proud
- Spanish: hincharse — to become proud