# huff

> English word · Noun · IPA /hʌf/ · frequency rank #24,787

## Definitions
1. A heavy breath; a grunt or sigh.
2. A condition of anger, annoyance, disgust, etc.
3. One swelled with a false sense of importance or value; a boaster.
4. The act of removing an opponent's piece as a forfeit for deliberately not taking a piece (often signalled by blowing on it).

## Etymology
Probably an altered spelling of earlier *hough, represented by Scots hech (“to breathe hard, pant”). Compare also German hauchen (“to breathe”).

## Easily confused with
- **huh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/huff-vs-huh)
- **hug** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/huff-vs-hug)
- **hut** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/huff-vs-hut)
- **hum** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/huff-vs-hum)
- **hun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/huff-vs-hun)
- **hui** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/huff-vs-hui)
- **Hur** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/huff-vs-hur)
- **Hus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/huff-vs-hus)
- **Huw** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/huff-vs-huw)
- **huge** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/huff-vs-huge)
- **hurt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/huff-vs-hurt)
- **hunt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/huff-vs-hunt)
- **hung** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/huff-vs-hung)
- **hull** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/huff-vs-hull)
- **Hugh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/huff-vs-hugh)
- **Hugo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/huff-vs-hugo)
- **hulk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/huff-vs-hulk)
- **hugs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/huff-vs-hugs)
- **hush** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/huff-vs-hush)
- **hump** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/huff-vs-hump)

## Common misspellings (4)
`hfuf`, `hhuff`, `huf`, `uhff`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/huff