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Synonyms

snuffle

American  
[snuhf-uhl] / ˈsnʌf əl /

verb (used without object)

snuffled, snuffling

  1. to draw air into the nose for the purpose of smelling something; snuff.

  2. to draw the breath or mucus through the nostrils in an audible or noisy manner; sniffle.

  3. to speak through the nose or with a nasal twang.

  4. to whine; snivel.

verb (used with object)

snuffled, snuffling

  1. to utter in a nasal tone.

noun

  1. an act or sound of breathing loudly through the nose.

  2. (the) snuffles, a condition of the nose, such as from a cold, causing a person to breath or draw mucus through the nostrils noisily.

  3. a nasal tone of voice.

snuffle British  
/ ˈsnʌfəl /

verb

  1. (intr) to breathe noisily or with difficulty

  2. to say or speak in a nasal tone

  3. (intr) to snivel

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. an act or the sound of snuffling

  2. a nasal tone or voice

  3. a condition characterized by snuffling

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • snuffler noun
  • snufflingly adverb
  • snuffly adjective

Etymology

Origin of snuffle

First recorded in 1575–85, for an earlier sense; 1595–1605, for the current sense; from Dutch snuffelen “to nose (in something),” literally, “to sniff repeatedly,” from snuffen “to sniff,” with -el-, frequentative infix; equivalent to snuff 1 ( def. ) + -le

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Other days, the project manager will play with her pup at home or throw a few treats in a snuffle mat.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 23, 2025

They invited a winsome six-month-old piglet named Wilma to snuffle around in the mini-meadow, which she did with tremendous focus and energy, transfixing her audience.

From New York Times • Sep. 23, 2022

We fed Typo from a snuffle mat, which encourages him to root around with his nose for food.

From Slate • Jun. 21, 2022

They snuffle around in the gloom, hunting for some snacks after their sleep.

From BBC • Jun. 13, 2022

If a pug snorts a funny backward snuffle, it might startle you enough to accidentally step in its poop.

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.