Meaning & use

whiff

noun·Everyday

A brief, faint smell of something, or a small trace or suggestion of a quality or situation.

See it in a sentence

A whiff of fresh coffee drifted out of the kitchen as we walked in.

There was already a whiff of scandal surrounding the mayor's reelection campaign.

A note on using this word

Whiff usually describes something faint and fleeting, whether an actual smell or a figurative sign of trouble.

Words with a similar meaning

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Make it your own

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