Puff (Verb)
Meaning 1
Praise extravagantly; "The critics puffed up this Broadway production".
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- The fashion magazine puffed up the new designer's collection with glowing reviews.
- Critics puffed this movie, but it turned out to be a flop at the box office.
- The talk show host puffed the celebrity guest's charitable work to a huge audience.
- She puffed her friend's skills to potential employers, which led to several job offers.
- The company puffed its eco-friendly policies in the latest advertising campaign.
Synonyms
Related Words
Meaning 2
Speak in a blustering or scornful manner; "A puffing kind of man".
Classification
Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing.
Examples
- He stood on the podium, puffing about his accomplishments to anyone who would listen.
- The politician was known for puffing on about her platform, but her actions rarely matched her words.
- She puffed at the idea that the project could be completed on time, citing her years of experience in the industry.
- The salesman puffed about the features of the car, trying to make a sale to the skeptical customer.
- His habit of puffing about his business ventures made him appear arrogant to others.
Hypernyms
Meaning 3
Breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted; "The runners reached the finish line, panting heavily".
Classification
Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care.
Examples
- She climbed the stairs so quickly that she had to puff and catch her breath at the top.
- After running the marathon the exhausted athlete would puff and struggle to speak to the interviewer.
- As he climbed the steep mountain the old man would puff with exhaustion and have to stop frequently.
- The tourists puffed and wheezed as they tried to navigate the high altitude in the Himalayas.
- She was so out of breath from the intense exercise routine that she would puff uncontrollably between each set.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Related Words
Meaning 4
Blow hard and loudly; "he huffed and puffed as he made his way up the mountain".
Classification
Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care.
Examples
- As she was running up the stairs, she started to puff and wheeze from lack of exercise.
- The strong gusts of wind made the sails puff out as the boat quickly gained speed.
- Exhaling a lungful of smoke, he watched as the puff of cigarette smoke vanished into the air.
- The determined athlete puffed and huffed her way through the challenging obstacle course.
- After years of being idle, the bellows began to puff out small flames when the fire was lit.
Synonyms
Related Words
Meaning 5
Smoke and exhale strongly; "puff a cigar"; "whiff a pipe".
Classification
Verbs of eating and drinking.
Examples
- She took a long puff on her cigar, savoring the smoky flavor.
- The old man would puff on his pipe and then read a chapter from the novel to the children.
- As he smoked a cigarette, Jack would occasionally puff out small rings of smoke to amuse his friends.
- Maria took a puff from the offered cigarette before giving a satisfied sigh.
- With a casual gesture, he lit the cigar and began to puff contentedly.
Synonyms
Related Words
Meaning 6
To swell or cause to enlarge; "Her faced puffed up from the drugs"; "puffed out chests".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- Her face puffed up from the allergy reaction.
- The chef puffed out a bit of dough to make the pastry.
- He puffed out his chest after being awarded the medal.
- The jogger's lungs began to puff out from exhaustion.
- Her eyes puffed up from crying all night.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Related Words
Meaning 7
Suck in or take (air); "draw a deep breath"; "draw on a cigarette".
Classification
Verbs of eating and drinking.
Examples
- She took a quick puff of air before speaking in front of the crowd.
- He learned to puff slowly on the hookah to fully appreciate its flavor.
- As the jogger reached the top of the hill, she paused to puff and compose herself.
- Before answering the interview question, she puffed on her pen to buy more time.
- With the doctor's guidance, the patient practiced puffing into a toy to strengthen her lungs.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Related Words
Meaning 8
Make proud or conceited; "The sudden fame puffed her ego".
Classification
Verbs of feeling.
Examples
- His newfound wealth puffed his ego, making him overconfident in his business decisions.
- The praise she received for her art puffed her head and made her start taking unnecessary risks.
- The award show's lavish ceremony puffed up the celebrities in attendance, fueling their already inflated senses of self-importance.
- Winning the competition puffed the athlete's sense of invincibility, making him underestimate his opponents.
- His Nobel Prize win puffed the scientist's sense of superiority, leading him to be dismissive of opposing views.