huff

Etymology

Probably an altered spelling of earlier *hough, represented by Scots hech (“to breathe hard, pant”). Compare also German hauchen (“to breathe”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /hʌf/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌf

Noun

huff (plural huffs)

1. a heavy breath; a grunt or sigh

   With a huff, he lifted the box onto the back of the truck.

2. an expression of anger, annoyance, disgust, etc.
   • 1868, Anthony Trollope, He Knew He Was Right X

     Such wickedness had never come into his head; but he had a certain pleasure in being the confidential friend of a very pretty woman; and when he heard that that pretty woman's husband was jealous, the pleasure was enhanced rather than otherwise. On that Sunday, as he had left the house in Curzon Street, he had told Stanbury that Trevelyan [the husband] had just gone off in a huff, which was true enough, and he had walked from thence down Clarges Street, and across Piccadilly to St. James's Street, with a jauntier step than usual, because he was aware that he himself had been the occasion of that trouble.

3. (obsolete) a boaster; one swelled with a false sense of value or importance
   • South

     Lewd, shallow-brained huffs make atheism and contempt of religion the sole badge […] of wit.

Verb

huff (third-person singular simple present huffs, present participle huffing, simple past and past participle huffed)

1. To breathe heavily.

   The run left him huffing and puffing.

2. To inhale psychoactive inhalants. [from the 20th c.]
3. To say in a huffy manner.
4. (draughts) To remove an opponent's piece as a forfeit for deliberately not taking a piece (often signalled by blowing on it).
5. To enlarge; to swell up.

   Bread huffs.

6. To bluster or swell with anger, pride, or arrogance; to storm; to take offense. [from the 16th c.]
   • South

     This senseless arrogant conceit of theirs made them huff at the doctrine of repentance.

7. To treat with insolence and arrogance; to chide or rebuke rudely; to hector; to bully.
   • Echard

     You must not presume to huff us.

Etymology

Onomatopoeia

Interjection

huff

1. expression of minor revulsion; minor horror

   uff huff, så mye mas!

   huff a meg!

Noun

huff n

1. An instance of uttering huff.