What does "sniff" mean?
An instance of sniffing.
Sniff
/snɪf/ intj, noun, verb, slang
intj, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An instance of sniffing.
- Grammar: sniff is listed as intj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: amoy, aqua lung, aqua-lung, artificial respiration.
- Useful contrasts: disregard, exhalation, ignore.
- Usage evidence: Why do you sniff things you see on the ground?
How to use "sniff"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "sniff" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "sniff" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "sniff" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "sniff" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "sniff" is acting as intj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "amoy" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "sniff", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An instance of sniffing. countable
"She gave the flowers a quick sniff to check they were real."
- 2 sensing an odor by inhaling through the nose wordnet
- 3 A quantity of something that is inhaled through the nose. countable
- 4 A brief perception, or tiny amount. colloquial, countable
"Tottenham did have a sniff of goal when Defoe's drilled cross just eluded his strike partner at the far post but their best effort came early in the second half when Ryan Fredericks cut in from the right before firing into the side netting."
- 5 Cocaine. slang, uncountable
"He sold us some sniff and blow."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A toddler or young child. countable, slang
Verb
- 1 To make a short, audible inhalation, through the nose, as when smelling something. ambitransitive
"The dog sniffed around the park, searching for a nice scent."
- 2 inhale audibly through the nose wordnet
- 3 To say (something) while sniffing, such as in case of illness or unhappiness, or in contempt. transitive
""He's never coming back, is he?" she sniffed while looking at a picture of him."
- 4 perceive by inhaling through the nose wordnet
- 5 To perceive vaguely. transitive
"I don't know, of course, what your precious Radicals are planning to do, and I don't want to know; but I can sniff trouble in the air, nevertheless."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 To pry; to investigate in an interfering manner. intransitive
"COOMBE: He got the clinch only last week — eighteen months. You see it's no good having anybody here as ain't got a^([sic]) unblemished character. We don't want to have the bluebottles come sniffing round here, do we?"
- 7 To be dismissive or contemptuous of something; used with at.
"This opportunity is not to be sniffed at."
- 8 To intercept and analyse packets of data being transmitted over a network.
"packet sniffer"
- 9 To inhale drugs (usually cocaine) through the nose, usually in powder form. UK, slang
"Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue."
Intj
- 1 A short inhalation sound, sometimes associated with crying.
"a wild boar is laughing and Obelix is crying Wild boar classified a protected species First reaction from dismayed costumers: “Boohoohoo! Sniff!”"
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Why do you sniff things you see on the ground?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "sniff"?
Common synonyms include: amoy, aqua lung, aqua-lung, artificial respiration, aspirate, aspiration.
How do you use "sniff" in a sentence?
Why do you sniff things you see on the ground?
How do you pronounce "sniff"?
Pronounced /snɪf/.
Etymology
From Middle English sniffen, of imitative origin.