Meaning & use
puffing
Breathing heavily and quickly, or emitting small clouds of smoke, steam, or air in bursts.
See it in a sentence
He came up the stairs puffing and out of breath after the long climb.
The old steam engine went chugging along, puffing thick smoke into the sky.
A note on using this word
Puffing can also describe exaggerated praise in advertising, sometimes called puffery, which is not meant to be taken literally.
Words with a similar meaning
pantinghuffing
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. noun
Exaggerated claims or praise used in advertising that are not meant to be taken literally.
Calling a car 'the best in the world' is typical advertising puffing, not a factual claim.
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