WHIFF Synonyms: 31 Similar and Opposite Words

whiff 1 of 2

noun

ˈ(h)wif

Definition of whiff

as in hint

an almost imperceptible sign of something even a whiff of appreciation for everything I've done for her would have been nice

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

whiff

2 of 2

verb

as in to smell

to become aware of by means of the sense organs in the nose whiffed the pot of chili on the stove and announced that he was staying for dinner

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of whiff

Noun

For example, one version of the chemical carvone smells like mint, while the other has a whiff of caraway, a spice often used in rye bread. — Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2026 But a whiff of the roasted treat, emanating without access to its visual source, is part of its charm. — Joey Skladany, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2026

Verb

Ohtani fouled off the next two pitches before whiffing on a sinker to end the inning. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026 Alcantara, who walked one and whiffed three, is winless in his last eight starts. — Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for whiff

Recent Examples of Synonyms for whiff

Noun

The two remain royals, but growing speculation hints that once Prince William ascends the throne, that might change.

— Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 24 Oct. 2026
Yet other separatist movements in Canada appear to have taken the hint.

— Max Saltman, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of hint

Verb

His creator, an unnamed basket-weaver (Peter Dinklage), braided him as a mate for a lonely virgin, a fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) who stomps around her rustic village smelling like sushi and tossing her head back in an Eliza Doolittle guffaw.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Officials said hunters should watch for signs of infection, including visible maggots in wounds, foul-smelling injuries and animals that appear weak or distressed.

— Kierra Frazier, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of smell

Noun

But that’s a glimmer of progress in an overall bleak data set.

— Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2026
Curt Cignetti has not just provided a championship mindset for the passionate fans that were sitting through days of blowouts and small glimmers of hope in past years.

— Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of glimmer

Verb

Slice off a wedge of cornbread, then, and inhale the toasty steam that rises up.

— Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Without a mask, without fear of needing lung implants, without having to worry about inhaling a soupçon of strychnine or similar industrial pollutants.

— Jeff Spry, Space.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of inhale

Browse Nearby Words

whickers

whiff

whiffed

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Whiff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whiff. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of whiff

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on whiff

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes