sniffle

American  

[snif-uhl] / ˈsnɪf əl /

verb (used without object)

sniffled, sniffling

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

   She sniffled woefully.

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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 British  

/ ˈsnɪfəl /

verb

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

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noun

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

Other Word Forms

• sniffler noun
• sniffly adjective

Etymology

Origin of sniffle

First recorded in 1625–35; sniff + -le

Example Sentences

He seems very aware that the audience for his kind of niche hit wants to sniffle at delicate emotions.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2025

For some of us, Covid is just a sniffle - not even enough to make you go digging around in the bathroom cabinet to see if there is a lateral flow test hiding in there.

From BBC • Dec. 16, 2023

"Pastina is the cure for any cold, sore throat or sniffle," Ali Abene Dahlhaus wrote on Facebook.

From Salon • Jan. 11, 2023

After more than two years of pandemic life, many people are familiar with the worry and fear that can be triggered by a sore throat, sniffle or fatigue: Do I have covid-19?

From Washington Post • Jun. 17, 2022

A couple of the seventh graders began to sniffle, as though they’d suddenly realized something bad had happened.

From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Related Words

• choke
• snort
• whoop