puff > define

noun

• A short light gust of air.
  • synonyms: puff of air, whiff
• A light inflated pastry or puff shell.
• Exaggerated praise (as for promotional purposes. )
• Bedding made of two layers of cloth filled with stuffing and stitched together.
  • synonyms: quilt, comforter, comfort
• A soft spherical object made from fluffy fibers; for applying powder to the skin.
  • synonyms: powderpuff
• Thick cushion used as a seat.
  • synonyms: ottoman, pouf, pouffe, hassock
• A slow inhalation (as of tobacco smoke. )
  • usage: "he took a puff on his pipe"; "he took a drag on his cigarette and expelled the smoke slowly"
  • synonyms: drag, pull
• Forceful exhalation through the nose or mouth.
  • usage: "he gave his nose a loud blow"; "he blew out all the candles with a single puff"
  • synonyms: blow

verb

• Smoke and exhale strongly.
  • usage: "puff a cigar"; "whiff a pipe"
  • synonyms: whiff
• Suck in or take (air. )
  • usage: "draw a deep breath"; "draw on a cigarette"
  • synonyms: drag, draw
• Breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted.
  • usage: "The runners reached the finish line, panting heavily"
  • synonyms: pant, gasp, heave
• Make proud or conceited.
  • usage: "The sudden fame puffed her ego"
• Praise extravagantly.
  • usage: "The critics puffed up this Broadway production"
  • synonyms: puff up
• Speak in a blustering or scornful manner.
  • usage: "A puffing kind of man"
• (v.) ()
  • synonyms: puff up, blow up, puff out
• Blow hard and loudly.
  • usage: "he huffed and puffed as he made his way up the mountain"
  • synonyms: huff, chuff

adjective

• Gathered for protruding fullness.
  • usage: "puff sleeves"
  • synonyms: puffed

• (n.) To breathe in a swelling, inflated or pompous manner; hence, to assume importance.
• (n.) A puffball.
• (v.t.) To praise with exaggeration; to flatter; to call public attention to by praises; to praise unduly.
• (v.t.) To cause to swell or dilate; to inflate; to ruffle with puffs; -- often with up; as, a bladder puffed with air.
• (n.) To blow in puffs or with short and sudden whiffs.
• (n.) To blow, as an expression of scorn; -- with at.
• (n.) A sudden and single emission of breath from the mouth; hence, any sudden or short blast of wind; a slight gust; a whiff.
• (n.) Anything light and filled with air.
• (n.) A utensil of the toilet for dusting the skin or hair with powder.
• (n.) An exaggerated or empty expression of praise, especially one in a public journal.
• (n.) a kind of light pastry.
• (v.t.) To repel with words; to blow at contemptuously.
• (n.) To swell with air; to be dilated or inflated.
• (n.) To breathe quick and hard or with puffs, as after violent exertion.
• (v.t.) To drive with a puff or with puffs.
• (v.t.) To inflate with pride, flattery, self-esteem or the like; -- often with up.
• (a.) Puffed up; vain.