Definition

1. Noun:

   • A short, forceful burst of air, breath, or smoke: A single, quick emission of air, breath, or smoke from the mouth or nose.
   • A small quantity of vapor or smoke inhaled: A single, small draw of smoke from a cigarette, pipe, or cigar.
   • A soft, rounded pad or mass: A soft, light object, often used for applying powder or as a cushion.
   • A light, hollow pastry: A type of light, flaky pastry that is often filled.
   • Exaggerated praise or publicity: Insincere or excessive praise, often used for promotional purposes.
   • A light gust of wind: A brief, gentle rush of air.

2. Verb:

   • To blow or emit air, smoke, or vapor in short bursts: To breathe or send out air or smoke in quick, forceful breaths.
   • To swell or become inflated: To expand or cause to expand with air or pride.
   • To breathe heavily, especially from exertion: To breathe in a noisy, labored way.
   • To smoke (a cigarette, pipe, etc.) by taking short draws: To inhale and exhale smoke in short breaths.
   • To speak boastfully or scornfully: To talk in a loud, arrogant, or dismissive manner.
   • To praise excessively: To promote or compliment in an exaggerated, often insincere way.

Examples

• Noun:

  • He blew out the candles with a single puff.
  • She took a puff from her cigarette.
  • The powder puff is soft and fluffy.
  • The review was just a puff piece for the new movie.

• Verb:

  • The dragon can puff smoke from its nostrils.
  • The frog puffed up its chest to appear larger.
  • He was puffing hard after running up the stairs.
  • She sat on the porch, puffing on her pipe.

Advanced Usage

• "puff out": to swell or protrude; to cause to swell.

  • The bird puffed out its feathers to keep warm.
  • He puffed out his cheeks and blew.

• "puff up": to swell, especially with air, fluid, or pride; to inflate.

  • Her ankle puffed up after the sprain.
  • All the flattery puffed up his ego.

• "huff and puff": to breathe loudly and heavily, especially from effort; to make empty threats or complaints.

  • He huffed and puffed while trying to move the heavy box.
  • The company huffed and puffed about the new regulations but complied in the end.

Variants and Related Words

• Puffy (adj): Slightly swollen; inflated.
  • Her eyes were puffy from crying.
• Puffin (n): A type of seabird with a large, colorful beak.
• Powder puff (n): A soft pad for applying powder to the skin.
• Puff pastry (n): A light, flaky pastry made of many thin layers.

Synonyms

• Noun: Gust, whiff, breath, drag (of smoke), pad, cushion, flattery.
• Verb: Blow, pant, wheeze, swell, inflate, boast, promote.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Puff away: To smoke continuously, taking frequent puffs.
  • He just sat there, puffing away on his cigar.
• Puff on: To smoke something by taking puffs.
  • She puffed on her cigarette thoughtfully.

Related Idioms

• "a puff of wind": a very light, brief gust of air.
  • Not a puff of wind stirred the leaves.
• "puff and blow": to breathe very heavily and noisily from physical exertion.
  • By the top of the hill, I was really puffing and blowing.

Adjective

1. gathered for protruding fullness
   • puff sleeves

Noun

1. forceful exhalation through the nose or mouth
   • he gave his nose a loud blow
   • he blew out all the candles with a single puff
2. a slow inhalation (as of tobacco smoke)
   • he took a puff on his pipe
   • he took a drag on his cigarette and expelled the smoke slowly
3. thick cushion used as a seat
4. a soft spherical object made from fluffy fibers; for applying powder to the skin
5. bedding made of two layers of cloth filled with stuffing and stitched together
6. exaggerated praise (as for promotional purposes)
7. a light inflated pastry or puff shell
8. a short light gust of air

Verb

1. blow hard and loudly
   • he huffed and puffed as he made his way up the mountain
2. to swell or cause to enlarge, "Her faced puffed up from the drugs"
   • puffed out chests
3. speak in a blustering or scornful manner
   • A puffing kind of man
4. praise extravagantly
   • The critics puffed up this Broadway production
5. make proud or conceited
   • The sudden fame puffed her ego
6. breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
   • The runners reached the finish line, panting heavily
7. suck in or take (air)
   • draw a deep breath
   • draw on a cigarette
8. smoke and exhale strongly
   • puff a cigar
   • whiff a pipe