Definition

Noun: 1. The act of exhaling or blowing out air, smoke, or vapor forcefully and often in short bursts. This typically refers to the action of smoking a pipe, cigar, or cigarette, or to the act of blowing out air as if from exertion. 2. The act of promoting or praising something with exaggerated enthusiasm. This is a dated or formal usage, implying the praise is often excessive or insincere.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Exhaling):

  • He took a long drag from his cigar, followed by a slow puffing of smoke into the evening air.
  • The old steam locomotive arrived at the station with a great deal of puffing and whistling.
  • The puffing of the runners was audible as they neared the finish line.

• Noun (Promoting):

  • The salesman's constant puffing of the product's benefits made the customers suspicious. (Note: This usage is less common in modern, everyday English).

Advanced Usage

• "Puffing and blowing": An idiomatic phrase used to describe someone breathing heavily and noisily, usually from physical effort.
  • After climbing the stairs, he was puffing and blowing.

Variants and Related Words

• Puff (verb): To exhale smoke or air in short bursts; to swell or become inflated.
  • He likes to puff on his pipe.
  • The wind puffed out the sails.
• Puff (noun): A short, forceful exhalation of breath or smoke; a light, soft pad; a type of light pastry.
• Puffed (adjective): Swollen or inflated; breathing heavily from exertion.
  • She had puffed cheeks.
  • He was puffed after the race.

Synonyms

• Exhaling: Breathing out.
• Blowing: Sending out air.
• Panting: Breathing quickly and shallowly, often from exertion.
• Huffing: Blowing air noisily, often in annoyance or effort.

Related Phrasal Verbs / Compounds

• Puff out: To cause something to swell or stick out by filling it with air.
  • The bird puffed out its chest.
• Puff up: To swell; to become filled with pride or self-importance.
  • His eye began to puff up after the injury.
  • The flattery puffed him up.
• Puff away: To smoke a pipe, cigar, or cigarette steadily.
  • He sat in the armchair, puffing away contentedly.

Related Idioms

• Huff and puff: To breathe loudly and with effort, especially when angry or after exercise; to make empty threats or protests.
  • He huffed and puffed but finally agreed to help.

Noun

1. an act of forcible exhalation
2. blowing tobacco smoke out into the air
   • they smoked up the room with their ceaseless puffing