1
a
: a quick puff or slight gust especially of air, odor, gas, smoke, or spray
b
: an inhalation of odor, gas, or smoke
c
: a slight puffing or whistling sound
2
: a slight trace or indication
a whiff of scandal
3
whiffed; whiffing; whiffs
1
: to move with or as if with a puff of air
3
: to inhale an odor
1
2
: fan sense 8
whiffed three batters
Examples of whiff in a Sentence
Noun
I got a whiff of new paint when I entered the room.
I detected a whiff of sarcasm in her voice.
The pitcher had eight whiffs during the game.
Verb
He whiffed a strong odor of perfume.
The golfer nearly whiffed the shot.
The golfer nearly whiffed on the shot.
Recent Examples on the Web
Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 10 July 2025
The 35-year-old is still generating a strong 36.5 percent whiff rate with his signature changeup and is averaging 94.5 mph with his fastball.
—Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 July 2025
Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2025
The bottom line is Turner is an A+ fit on both ends and fills a need the Bucks couldn’t afford to whiff on.
—Brian Sampson, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for whiff
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
As of July 8, the lefty hadn’t allowed an earned run in his last 22 appearances and had a 32.2 percent whiff rate on the season.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 10 July 2025
The 35-year-old is still generating a strong 36.5 percent whiff rate with his signature changeup and is averaging 94.5 mph with his fastball.
—Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 July 2025
Verb
In what should have been the easiest article to write in Mr. Plaschke’s illustrious career, Bill completely whiffs when comparing Kershaw to Koufax.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2025
The bottom line is Turner is an A+ fit on both ends and fills a need the Bucks couldn’t afford to whiff on.
—Brian Sampson, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for whiff
Cite this Entry
“Whiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whiff. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
whiff
1 of 2 noun
ˈhwif 
ˈwif
1
: a quick puff or slight gust
a whiff of air
2
: a small quantity of odor, gas, or smoke that is breathed in
whiff
2 of 2 verb1
: to blow out or away in small amounts
2
: to breathe in an odor
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share