verb / noun

huff

HUF/hˈʌf/

To breathe with a forceful noisy intake or release.

The tired man huffs out a cloud of breath.

A tired man bends forward on snowy stairs, huffing a visible plume of breath through rounded lips.

Etymology

Huff apparently imitates forceful exhaling. The verb developed the sense “bluster with arrogance or indignation,” and the noun named a sudden swell of anger—the emotional state preserved in “in a huff.”

In context

Your Manhwa Recap418:08

Only then did Wenxiu let go in a huff, turning and marching inside to cook, not sparing him another word.

After Taking Over a Thug's Body, He Built a New Life With Hunting, Honey and Herbs 2

More examples

After the sprint, she huffs and puffs beside the track.
The horse lets out a loud huff through its nostrils.
I hear him huffing as he pushes the stalled car.

Forms

huff · huffs · huffed · huffing

Similar words

pant: Means breathing rapidly and repeatedly, especially from exertion or heat.
puff: Emphasizes blowing air out in short bursts.
gasp: Emphasizes a sudden intake of breath from surprise or breathlessness.