Definition of sniff - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
breathingintr. inhale audibly through the noseintr.
- She sniffed loudly during the sad movie.
2.
smellingtr./intr. perceive a smell by inhaling through the nosetr./intr.
- He sniffed the flowers in the garden.
3.
communicationtr. say something with disapproval or contempttr.
- "I don't care," she sniffed.
4.
pryingintr. investigate in an interfering mannerintr.
- The detective sniffed around for more clues.
5.
technologytr. TECH. intercept and analyse data packetstr. TECH.
- The software can sniff network traffic.
Noun
1.
smelling actionact of smelling something briefly
- He took a sniff of the flowers to check their freshness..
2.
nose noisesound made by sniffing
- The room was silent except for the occasional sniff from the audience..
3.
intuitionhint or suspicion of something
- He got a sniff of the upcoming changes at work.
4.
quantityRare small amount inhaled through the noseRare
- He took a sniff of the perfume to test it.
Expressions with sniff
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become aware of something happening
She got a sniff of the upcoming changes.
something important or worth noticing
A $500 prize is nothing to sniff at.
search for information or opportunities
He likes to sniff around for new business ventures..
express contempt or dislike for something
She tends to sniff at any new idea.
detect something hidden or invisible
She managed to sniff out the truth.
informal evaluation using common sense or intuition
The proposal didn't pass the sniff test.
involving a surface that releases a scent when scratched
The book had scratch and sniff pages for kids to enjoy.
actively searching for something
The detective was on the sniff for new clues.
Origin of sniff
Middle English, snifen (to draw air through the nose)
Examples of sniff in a sentence
The dog sniffed around the garden. She sniffed the aroma of fresh coffee. The dog sniffed the ground curiously. "That's not how it's done," he sniffed. "Such a waste of time," she sniffed. She sniffed into his past, uncovering secrets.
Reporters sniffed around the scandal, seeking details. Hackers can sniff sensitive information from unsecured networks. The tool is designed to sniff data packets for analysis. She gave a quick sniff to the perfume bottle. A sniff of the soup told him it was ready. A sniff broke the silence in the room. He let out a loud sniff during the speech. She had a sniff of the deal before it was announced. There was a sniff of scandal in the air. She took a sniff of the fresh bread. A sniff of the air revealed the scent of flowers.
View all translations of sniff
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:renifler, reniflement, ...
- German:schniefen, Schnüffeln, ...
- Italian:annusare, sniffata, ...
- Spanish:olfatear, aspiración, ...
- Portuguese:fungar, fungada, ...
- Chinese:嗅, 嗅闻, ...
- Japanese:鼻をすする, 嗅ぐこと, ...
- Arabic:شَمَّ, شَمَّة, ...
- Hebrew:לְרַחְרֵחַ, הַסְנָפָה, ...
- Russian:шмыгать, нюх, ...
- Ukrainian:нюхати, нюхання, ...
- Hindi:सूँसना, सूँघ, ...
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