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!” 2009, Asterix and Obelix's Birthday: The Golden Book, page 28:
Deriveds
sniffer (Terms derived from the noun or verb "sniff") · sniffle (Terms derived from the noun or verb "sniff") · resniff (Terms derived from the noun or verb "sniff") · sniff test (Terms derived from the noun or verb "sniff") · sniffy (Terms derived from the noun or verb "sniff") · sniffable (Terms derived from the noun or verb "sniff") · scratch and sniff (Terms derived from the noun or verb "sniff") · sniffing position (Terms derived from the noun or verb "sniff")
She gave the flowers a quick sniff to check they were real.
(countable) A quantity of something that is inhaled through the nose.
(colloquial, countable) A brief perception, or tiny amount.
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. 2011 November 3, Chris Bevan, “Rubin Kazan 1 - 0 Tottenham”, in BBC Sport:
Telecoms firms want a sniff, having invested heavily in ultra-fast, low-latency 5G spectrum. 2021 December 18, “The billionaire battle for the metaverse”, in The Economist, →ISSN:
(slang, uncountable) Cocaine.
He sold us some sniff and blow. 2008, Tammy Anderson, Neither Villain nor Victim:
ota شمه (instance of sniffing) · pt farejada (instance of sniffing) · es olfateo (instance of sniffing) · es olfateada (instance of sniffing) · ru сопение (instance of sniffing) · es olisqueo (instance of sniffing) · ca ensumada (instance of sniffing) · bg смъркане (instance of sniffing) · hu szippantás (instance of sniffing) · pt cheiradela (instance of sniffing) · pt snifadela (instance of sniffing) · ru шмы́гание (instance of sniffing) · fi nuuhkaus (instance of sniffing) · pt snifada (instance of sniffing)
(ambitransitive) To make a short, audible inhalation, through the nose, as when smelling something; to smell (something).
I sniffed the meat to see whether it had gone off.
The dog sniffed around the park, searching for a nice scent.
Carrot ran past him to get to the barrel first, and peered down at the cowering Catweazle. “No rats, Dad,” he said. “What's that terrible pong, then?” said Mr Bennett, sniffing. 1970, Richard Carpenter, Catweazle, Harmondsworth: Puffin Books, page 21:
(ambitransitive, transitive) To make a short, audible inhalation, through the nose, as when smelling something; to smell (something). ▸ To say (something) while sniffing, such as in case of illness or unhappiness, or in contempt.
"He's never coming back, is he?" she sniffed while looking at a picture of him.
(UK, ambitransitive, slang) To make a short, audible inhalation, through the nose, as when smelling something; to smell (something). ▸ To inhale drugs (usually cocaine) through the nose, usually in powder form.
Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue. 1980, Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker, directors, Airplane!, spoken by Steve McCroskey (Lloyd Bridges):
(ambitransitive, figuratively) To make a short, audible inhalation, through the nose, as when smelling something; to smell (something). ▸ To be dismissive or contemptuous of something; used with at.
This opportunity is not to be sniffed at.
(ambitransitive, broadly, transitive) To make a short, audible inhalation, through the nose, as when smelling something; to smell (something). ▸ To perceive vaguely.
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. 1952, Isabelle Hughes, Lorena Telforth, page 223:
(intransitive) To pry; to investigate in an interfering manner.
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? 1882, Henry Herman, Henry Arthur Jones, The Silver King:
(intransitive) To pry; to investigate in an interfering manner. ▸ To intercept and analyse packets of data being transmitted over a network.
fi niiskauttaa (to say something while sniffing) · lo ສືບກິ່ນ (to make a short audible inhalation) · cmn 闻 (to make a short audible inhalation) · kea txerá (to perceive vaguely) · th สูด (to make a short audible inhalation) · gl nifrar (to inhale drugs in powder form through the nose) · th ดม (to make a short audible inhalation) · ast golfatiar (to make a short audible inhalation) · ast goliflar (to make a short audible inhalation) · hu fanyalog (to be dismissive or contemptuous) · hy ֆսֆսալ (to make a short audible inhalation) · mn тургих (to make a short audible inhalation) · pt farejar (to make a short audible inhalation) · pt snifar (to inhale drugs in powder form through the nose) · de züngeln (to make a short audible inhalation) · hy փնչացնել (to make a short audible inhalation) · de schnüffeln (to make a short audible inhalation) · ru чу́ять (to perceive vaguely) · eo ekflari (to make a short audible inhalation) · sv nosa (to make a short audible inhalation) · fi vetää viiva (to inhale drugs in powder form through the nose) · ca ensumar (to make a short audible inhalation) · it fiutare (to make a short audible inhalation) · ru почу́ять (to perceive vaguely) · ru приню́хаться (to make a short audible inhalation) · hu szimatol (to make a short audible inhalation) · bg душа (to make a short audible inhalation) · be ню́хаць (to inhale drugs in powder form through the nose) · ru шмы́гать (to make a short audible inhalation) · it odorare (to perceive vaguely) · it snasare (to perceive vaguely) · ast surniar (to inhale drugs in powder form through the nose) · pt cheirar (to inhale drugs in powder form through the nose) · ru шмыгну́ть (to make a short audible inhalation) · fi nyrpistää nenäänsä (to be dismissive or contemptuous) · uk відчути (to perceive vaguely) · uk чми́хати (to make a short audible inhalation) · km ហិត (to make a short audible inhalation) · bg смъркам (to inhale drugs in powder form through the nose) · eo snufi (to inhale drugs in powder form through the nose) · be шмо́ргаць (to make a short audible inhalation) · es ñatear (to inhale drugs in powder form through the nose) · bg помирисвам (to make a short audible inhalation) · fi nyrpistellä (to be dismissive or contemptuous) · ast golispiar (to make a short audible inhalation) · ast golismiar (to make a short audible inhalation) · ru ню́хать (to make a short audible inhalation) · fi vetää nenään (to inhale drugs in powder form through the nose) · nl snuiven (to inhale drugs in powder form through the nose) · ru поню́хать (to make a short audible inhalation) · cy ffroenochi (to make a short audible inhalation) · es inhalar (to inhale drugs in powder form through the nose) · cy ffroenochi (to be dismissive or contemptuous) · hy հոտոտել (to make a short audible inhalation) · it annusare (to make a short audible inhalation) · ast golifliar (to make a short audible inhalation) · nrf r'niflier (to make a short audible inhalation) · ru фы́ркнуть (to be dismissive or contemptuous) · ja 嗅ぐ (to make a short audible inhalation) · mi pihongi (to make a short audible inhalation) · es esnifar (to inhale drugs in powder form through the nose) · fi nuuhkia (to make a short audible inhalation) · be чуць (to perceive vaguely) · eo flari (to make a short audible inhalation) · cs čmuchat (to make a short audible inhalation) · mi whakamono (to make a short audible inhalation) · fr sniffer (to inhale drugs in powder form through the nose) · ru ню́хать (to inhale drugs in powder form through the nose) · pl niuchać (to make a short audible inhalation) · sh њу̏шити (to make a short audible inhalation) · fi nuuhkaista (to make a short audible inhalation) · cmn 嗅 (to make a short audible inhalation) · hu fintorog (to be dismissive or contemptuous) · gl nifrar (to make a short audible inhalation) · hu szippant (to make a short audible inhalation) · uk відчувати (to perceive vaguely) · fr renifler (to make a short audible inhalation) · fi haistaa (to perceive vaguely) · fi niiskuttaa (to say something while sniffing) · it tirare (to inhale drugs in powder form through the nose) · be ню́хаць (to make a short audible inhalation) · ru фы́ркать (to be dismissive or contemptuous) · mk шмрка (to make a short audible inhalation) · es olfatear (to make a short audible inhalation) · fi sniffata (to inhale drugs in powder form through the nose) · kk иіскеу (to make a short audible inhalation) · izh haissella (to make a short audible inhalation) · mn үнэрлэх (to make a short audible inhalation) · kea txera (to perceive vaguely) · es aspirar (to inhale drugs in powder form through the nose) · ast golimiar (to make a short audible inhalation) · fi nuuskata (to inhale drugs in powder form through the nose) · fi nuuskia (repetitively) (to make a short audible inhalation) · eo ekmovi la nazon (to be dismissive or contemptuous) · ast golifiar (to make a short audible inhalation) · mn шинших (to make a short audible inhalation) · es oliscar (to make a short audible inhalation) · pl węszyć (to make a short audible inhalation) · fi aavistaa (to perceive vaguely) · az burnunu çəkmək (to make a short audible inhalation) · ast goliscar (to make a short audible inhalation) · uk ню́хати (to inhale drugs in powder form through the nose) · it sniffare (to inhale drugs in powder form through the nose) · he הִסְנִיף (to inhale drugs in powder form through the nose) · cy ffroeni (to make a short audible inhalation) · uk ню́хати (to make a short audible inhalation) · ast golifar (to make a short audible inhalation) · pl wybrzydzać (to be dismissive or contemptuous) · pt fungar (to make a short audible inhalation) · pl pociągać nosem (to make a short audible inhalation) · cs čichat (to make a short audible inhalation) · ru приню́хиваться (to make a short audible inhalation) · ast golitrar (to make a short audible inhalation) · fi nuuskia (computing: to intercept and analyse packets of data) · sh njȕšiti (to make a short audible inhalation) · vi ngửi (to make a short audible inhalation) · sv sniffa (to inhale drugs in powder form through the nose) · es olisquear (to make a short audible inhalation) · uk крутити носом (to be dismissive or contemptuous) · qu sinq'ay (to make a short audible inhalation)