huff and puff
Pant with effort
Huff and puff means to breathe heavily, as from exertion: By the time I reached the fifth floor, I was huffing and puffing.
The phrase also describes making loud, indignant protests without real effect—from the wolf in the fairy tale who threatens to blow the pigs' houses down: The committee huffed and puffed but ultimately approved the budget.
- exaggeratingOverstating for effect
- fairytaleMagical children's narrative
- wolfWild pack canine
- exhaleExpel breath outward
- nursery rhymeTraditional poem for young children
blow · pant · breathe · bravado · posturing · bluster · full of hot air · exertion · gasp · hot air · wheeze · short of breath · intimidation · sigh · out of breath · effort · losing steam · threatening
- piglet talesThree Little Pigs, Charlotte's Web, Babe, Wilbur, Olivia
huff and puffbreeze through
Accomplish with effortless ease
sail through · coast · cruise · glide · walk the walk
huff and puffkeep one's cool
Maintain emotional control
grin and bear it · stay calm · shrug off · shrug it off · bite one's tongue
puff, puffy, huff, puffed, puffing, puffs, huffy, huffed, huffing