Puff vs Fluff - What's the difference?

puff | fluff | Synonyms |

Fluff is a synonym of puff.

In intransitive terms the difference between puff and fluff

is that puff is to pant while fluff is to become fluffy.

puff

English

Noun

(countable) A sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth.

(uncountable) The ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself.

out of puff

(countable) A small quantity of gas or smoke in the air.

puff of smoke

* Flatman

to every puff of wind a slave

(informal, countable) An act of inhaling smoke from a cigarette, cigar or pipe.

(countable) A flamboyant or alluring statement about an object's quality.

(dated, slang) A puffer, one who is employed by the owner or seller of goods sold at auction to bid up the price; an act or scam of that type.

* 1842 , "A Paper on Puffing", in Ainsworth's Magazine

Is nothing to be said in praise of the "Emporiums" and "Repositories" and "Divans," which formerly were mere insignificant tailors', toymen's, and tobacconists' shops? Is the transition from the barber's pole to the revolving bust of the perruquier, nothing? — the leap from the bare counter-traversed shop to the carpeted and mirrored saloon of trade, nothing? Are they not, one and all, practical puffs , intended to invest commerce with elegance, and to throw a halo round extravagance?

* 1848 , Mrs. White, "Puffs and Puffing", in Sharpe's London Magazine

Here the duke is made the vehicle of the tailor's advertisement, and the prelusive compliments, ostensibly meant for his grace, merge into a covert recommendation of the coat. Several specimens might be given of this species of puff , which is to be met with in almost every paper, and is a favourite form with booksellers, professional men, &c.

* 2008 , David Paton-Williamspage, Katterfelto , page xii

He was the eighteenth century king of spin, or, in the language of the day, the "prince of puff ".

A puffball.

A powder puff.

(uncountable, slang) The drug cannabis.

(countable) A light cake filled with cream, cream cheese, etc.

cream puff

(derogatory, slang, British, particularly northern UK) a homosexual; a poof

(slang, dated, UK) life

* 1938 , P. G. Wodehouse (Bertie Wooster speaking of Spode) in The Code of the Woosters

Did you ever in your puff see such a perfect perisher?

Synonyms

* (sharp exhalation of a small amount of breath through the mouth) * (ability to breathe easily while exerting oneself) wind * (small quantity of gas or smoke in the air) * drag * (cannabis) blow, dope, ganja, pot, weed; see also * (type of cake) pastry * (poof) See poof

Derived terms

* powder puff * puff pastry * puffer * puffery * puffing * puff piece

Verb

(en verb)

To emit smoke, gas, etc., in puffs.

To pant.

* L'Estrange

The ass comes back again, puffing and blowing, from the chase.

* 1918 , (Edgar Rice Burroughs), Chapter VI

Puffing and panting, we plodded on until within about a mile of the harbor we came upon a sight that brought us all up standing.

(archaic) To advertise.

To blow as an expression of scorn.

* South

It is really to defy Heaven to puff at damnation.

To swell with air; to be dilated or inflated.

(Boyle)

To breathe in a swelling, inflated, or pompous manner; hence, to assume importance.

* Herbert

Then came brave Glory puffing by.

To drive with a puff, or with puffs.

* Dryden

The clearing north will puff the clouds away.

To repel with words; to blow at contemptuously.

* Dryden

I puff the prostitute away.

To cause to swell or dilate; to inflate.

a bladder puffed with air

* Shakespeare

the sea puffed up with winds

To inflate with pride, flattery, self-esteem, etc.; often with up .

* Jowett

puffed up with military success

To praise with exaggeration; to flatter; to call public attention to by praises; to praise unduly.

* Macaulay

puffed with wonderful skill

Derived terms

* puffed * puff up * puff out

fluff

English

Noun

(en noun)

Anything light, soft or fuzzy, especially fur, hair, feathers.

Anything inconsequential or superficial.

Lapse, especially a mistake in an actor’s lines.

(label) marshmallow creme

(label) A passive partner in a lesbian relationship.

(Australia, euphemistic) A fart.

Synonyms

* fuzz, puff * (anything inconsequential or superficial) BS, cruft, hype, all talk * (a lapse) blooper, blunder, boo-boo, defect, error, fault, faux pas, gaffe, lapse, mistake, slip, stumble, thinko * (passive in a lesbian relationship) ruffle * See also

Derived terms

* fluffy

Verb

(en verb)

To make something fluffy.

The cat fluffed its tail.

To become fluffy.

(transitive, intransitive, of an actor or announcer) To make a mistake in one’s lines

To do incorrectly, for example mishit, miskick, miscue etc.

* {{quote-news

, year=2012 , date=June 19 , author=Phil McNulty , title=England 1-0 Ukraine , work=BBC Sport citation , page= , passage=Either side of Rooney's fluffed chance, it was a tale of Ukrainian domination as they attacked England down both flanks and showed the greater fluidity of the teams.}}

(intransitive, Australia, euphemistic) To fart.

Derived terms

* fluffer * fluff up * fluff girl English onomatopoeias ----