Miff
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Definitions
- 1 A small argument; a quarrel.
"nay, she would throw it in the teeth of Allworthy himself, when a little quarrel, or miff, as it is vulgarly called, arose between them."
- 2 a state of irritation or annoyance wordnet
- 3 A state of being offended.
"She's taken a miff at something, I suppose, and means to cut my acquaintance."
- 1 To offend slightly. transitive, usually
"he [our Interpreter Shabonah] will not agree to work let our Situation be what it may nor Stand a guard, and if miffed with any man he wishes to return when he pleases"
- 2 cause to be annoyed wordnet
- 3 To become slightly offended. intransitive
"I amble on; yet, though I know not why, / So sad I am!—but should a friend and I / Grow cool and miff, O! I am very sad!"
Example
More examples"nay, she would throw it in the teeth of Allworthy himself, when a little quarrel, or miff, as it is vulgarly called, arose between them."
Etymology
Compare German muffeln (“grouse, grumble”) and similar German words with similar meanings such as Muff, mupf, Muffel and Dutch moppen (“growl, grouse”). Probably related to mop (“grimace”).
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.