Find Synonyms

whiff Synonyms

Another word for whiff

Choosing another word for whiff depends on context, so the 52 synonyms and similar words below are separated across 8 exact definitions and ranked by match strength.
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• noun (Context 1)

A faint, brief smell or odor carried on the air, or a single inhalation of smoke, gas, or vapor.

Usage Example

"As she walked past the bakery, she caught a delightful scent of freshly baked cinnamon rolls."

Strongest
scent
Strong
odor
aroma
smell
sniff
fragrance
redolence

• noun (Context 2)

A slight puff, gust, or current of air, wind, or smoke.

Usage Example

"A sudden puff of wind blew the papers off the garden table."

Strongest
puff
waft
Strong
gust
breath
breeze
flurry
Weak
draft

• noun (Context 3)

A faint trace, hint, or suggestion of a quality, condition, or impending event.

Usage Example

"The committee resigned immediately after the first hint of financial scandal emerged."

Strongest
hint
trace
suggestion
Strong
touch
tinge
soupcon
inkling
shadow
glimmer
whisper

• verb (Context 4)

To swing at and completely miss a ball in sports, or to fail utterly at an attempt or task.

Usage Example

"He whiffed on the final question of the trivia competition, costing his team the championship."

Strongest
miss
strike out
Strong
fan
flub
botch
bungle
choke
fumble
fail

• verb (Context 5)

To smell or catch a brief scent of something, or to emit an unpleasant odor.

Usage Example

"The dog paused on the trail to sniff the air for any sign of wildlife."

Strongest
sniff
smell
Strong
scent
snuff
inhale
reek
stink

• verb (Context 6)

To blow, waft, or carry lightly as or in a slight puff of air or smoke.

Usage Example

"A gentle coastal breeze whiffed the fragrance of jasmine through the open window."

Strongest
waft
puff
Strong
blow
drift
float
carry
Weak
breathe

• noun (Context 7)

In sports such as baseball or golf, an instance of swinging at and completely missing the ball, or an outright failure.

Usage Example

"The pitcher ended the inning with a fastball that resulted in an awkward strikeout by the batter."

Strongest
strikeout
miss
Strong
air ball
flub
dud
flop
failure
Weak
fiasco

• noun (Context 8)

Any of various marine flatfishes, especially the megrim (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis) native to the northeastern Atlantic or American species of the genus Citharichthys.

Usage Example

"The commercial trawler hauled in a net containing sole, plaice, and several European whiffs."

Strongest
megrim
Strong
sand dab
flounder
Weak
flatfish

Opposites of whiff

The opposite of whiff shifts depending on context. Common opposites include:

hit
connect
nail
ace
glut
smash
succeed
success
See all opposites of whiff

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Synonyms for Whiff. In Wordmom Thesaurus. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/synonyms/whiff
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