Dictionary

puff up en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio

Meanings

1. (transitive) To inflate with air.
   • We puffed up the balloons.
2. (intransitive, transitive) To fluff up, such as an animal raising its fur or feathers to appear larger or conserve body heat.
   • Small birds puff up while sleeping to keep warm.
   • The angry cat hissed and puffed up its fur.
3. (intransitive) To swell due to injury or illness.
   • My hand puffed up where the cat had scratched me.
4. (figuratively, intransitive) To become proud. (Often written as puffed up with pride.)
   • Sore against our will did we of Witchland join with the Demons in that war, foreseeing (as hath been bloodily approved) that the issue must be but the puffing up of the Demons, who desire no other thing than to be lords and tyrants of all the world. 1922, E[ric] R[ücker] Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros: A Romance, London: Jonathan Cape […], →OCLC, page 37:
5. To trump up.
   • On the 17th of November I was put in the hole because the administration accused me and my lover of fighting. We were sort of fighting but not to the extent that they made it appear. (We later found out through several officers that they wanted to transfer my lover, so they puffed up the charges.) 1988 February 21, Jery Ragland, “A Hell Of An Appeal”, in Gay Community News, volume 15, number 31, page 5:

Forms

Deriveds

puffed up

Translations (48)

ru раздува́ться (to swell due to injury) · grc φυσιόω (to inflate with air) · fi pöyhistyä (to become fluffy) · fi turvota (to swell due to injury) · fi täyttää (to inflate with air) · ru наду́ться (to become proud) · ru наду́ться (to become fluffy) · ota قبارمق (to swell due to injury) · gd sèid (to become proud) · bg подувам се (to swell due to injury) · bg надувам се (to become fluffy) · ru надува́ться (to become fluffy) · fi pörhistyä (to become fluffy) · ru наду́ть (to inflate with air) · bg надуя се (to become fluffy) · nl opzwellen (to swell due to injury) · es hincharse (to become proud) · ru нахо́хлиться (to become fluffy) · ru надува́ться (to become proud) · fr gonfler (to inflate with air) · tr kabarmak (to become fluffy) · de plustern (to become fluffy) · bg надуя (to inflate with air) · fr enfler (to swell due to injury) · nl pluizen (to become fluffy) · es hincharse (to swell due to injury) · de aufplustern (to become fluffy) · bg надувам (to inflate with air) · la sufflo (to inflate with air) · fi paisua ylpeydestä (to become proud) · fi röyhistää (to become proud) · ru распуха́ть (to swell due to injury) · bg подуя се (to swell due to injury) · de aufblasen (to inflate with air) · mi whakakenakena (to become fluffy) · de anschwellen (to swell due to injury) · grc τυφόω (to become proud) · ru распу́хнуть (to swell due to injury) · ota شیشمك (to swell due to injury) · fi puhaltaa (to inflate with air) · ru разду́ться (to swell due to injury) · bg надувам се (to become proud) · ru нахо́хливаться (to become fluffy) · mk се надувува (to inflate with air) · ru надува́ть (to inflate with air) · mk кочопери (to become proud) · es inflar (to inflate with air) · bg надуя се (to become proud)