sniffle

[ snif-uhl ]

verb (used without object)

, snif·fled, snif·fling.

1. to sniff repeatedly, as from a head cold or in repressing tears:

   She sniffled woefully.

noun

1. an act or sound of sniffling.
2. (the) sniffles, a condition, as a cold, marked by sniffling:

   This draft is giving me the sniffles.

sniffle

/ ˈsnɪfəl /

verb

1. intr to breathe audibly through the nose, as when the nasal passages are congested

noun

1. the act, sound, or an instance of sniffling

Derived Forms

• ˈsniffler, noun
• ˈsniffly, adjective

Other Words From

• sniffler noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sniffle¹

First recorded in 1625–35; sniff + -le

Example Sentences

“Be prepared for the possibility that those sniffles or symptoms after coming back will be COVID.”

From Los Angeles Times

We tend to think of the disease as a respiratory problem, given all the coughs and sniffles it produces, but it’s really more of a vascular disease, impacting any system that relies on blood vessels.

From Salon

To deliver sentiment, the film instead relies on a score that sniffles as though a racehorse is being taken out to get shot.

From New York Times

According to CNN, Hicks was "audibly sniffling with tears," resulting in a brief interruption to proceedings and both she and the jury leaving the room.

From Salon

You were sniffling even before anything much happened onstage.

From New York Times

Related Words

• choke
• snort
• whoop