Puff1. (n.) A sudden and single emission of breath from the mouth; hence, any sudden or short blast of wind; a slight gust; a whiff.
2. (n.) Anything light and filled with air.
3. (n.) A puffball.
4. (n.) a kind of light pastry.
5. (n.) A utensil of the toilet for dusting the skin or hair with powder.
6. (n.) An exaggerated or empty expression of praise, especially one in a public journal.
7. (n.) To blow in puffs, or with short and sudden whiffs.
8. (n.) To blow, as an expression of scorn; -- with at.
9. (n.) To breathe quick and hard, or with puffs, as after violent exertion.
10. (n.) To swell with air; to be dilated or inflated.
11. (n.) To breathe in a swelling, inflated, or pompous manner; hence, to assume importance.
12. (v. t.) To drive with a puff, or with puffs.
13. (v. t.) To repel with words; to blow at contemptuously.
14. (v. t.) To cause to swell or dilate; to inflate; to ruffle with puffs; -- often with up; as, a bladder puffed with air.
15. (v. t.) To inflate with pride, flattery, self-esteem, or the like; -- often with up.
16. (v. t.) To praise with exaggeration; to flatter; to call public attention to by praises; to praise unduly.
17. (a.) Puffed up; vain.
Thesaurus Entries
Aqua-Lung, Danish pastry, French pastry, PR, acknowledgment, add to, adulate, advertise, advertisement, advocate, aggrandize, amplify, apotheosize, appreciation, artificial respiration, aspiration, asthmatic wheeze, augment, back, baklava, balloon, ballyhoo, bark, base, belaud, bepraise, bill, blast, bless, blintz, bloat, bloatedness, bloating, blow, blow a hurricane, blow great guns, blow over, blow up, blowing up, blubber, blurb, bluster, boast, boast of, boost, brag, brag about, break down, breakers, breath, breath of air, breathe, breathe hard, breathe in, breathe out, breathing, breeze, breeze up, brew, bright light, broaden, broken wind, build, build up, buildup, bulk, bulk out, bulletin, burlesque, burn out, butter, capful of wind, caricature, carry too far, celebrate, celebrity, chain-smoke, chaw, chew, chewing, chocolate eclair, circularize, clay, clown white, cock-a-doodle-doo, cold cream, collapse, collar, come up, comfortable, comforter, commend, commendation, common knowledge, compact, cosmetics, cough, crack up, cream puff, crescendo, crow, cry, cry up, currency, cushion, daylight, deify, develop, diastole, dilatation, dilate, dilation, distend, distension, dough, dowdy, down, drag, draught, draw, draw the longbow, droop, drop, dropsy, drugstore complexion, eclair, eclat, edema, eiderdown, emblazon, emit, enlarge, establish, eulogize, evacuate, exaggerate, exalt, exhalation, exhale, exhaust, expand, expel, expiration, expire, exposure, exsufflation, extend, extol, eye shadow, eyebrow pencil, faint, fame, famousness, fatigue, feather bed, feathers, flag, flatter, flatulence, flatulency, flatus, fleece, floss, flourish, flue, fluff, foam, foundation, foundation cream, freshen, froth, fume, gasconade, gasp, gassiness, gather, get tired, give a write-up, give off, give out, give publicity, give vent to, glare, glorify, go to extremes, good word, greasepaint, grow weary, gulp, gust, habitual smoking, hack, hand cream, hand lotion, head, heave, hero-worship, hiccup, hike, hike up, honorable mention, hoopla, hue and cry, huff, huff and puff, hype, hyperbolize, idolize, increase, inflate, inflation, inhalation, inhalator, inhale, inhale snuff, inspiration, inspire, insufflation, intumescence, iron lung, item, jade, kapok, lather, laud, laudation, lay it on, let out, limelight, lionize, lip rouge, lipstick, magnify, make much of, makeup, mascara, maximum dissemination, mention, meringue, meteorism, mousse, mouth, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, mudpack, nail polish, nicotine addiction, nicotinism, notice, notoriety, offscum, open the floodgates, open the sluices, overcharge, overdo