puffing
Exhaling in bursts
Puffing is breathing in short, labored bursts, as after exertion: He arrived puffing and out of breath.
It extends to anything that emits air or smoke in bursts—a steam engine puffing along, someone puffing on a cigarette.
Puffing also means inflating or promoting extravagantly: puffing up his credentials, puffing a new product.
In legal contexts, puffing is exaggerated sales talk not meant as factual claims.
Paper-wrapped tobacco cylinder
- tobaccoDried smoking leaf
- cigarWrapped tobacco for smoking
- pipeHollow conveyance channel
- nicotineAddictive tobacco alkaloid
inhale · exhale · drag · draw · ashtray · tar · filter · lighter
Whistling labored breath
- gaspSudden sharp breath
- pantBreathe in labored gasps
- huffPetulant mood burst
- breathlessLacking air, gasping
winded · labored · raspy · asthma · respiratory · hyperventilate · snort · sigh
Inflatable rubber sac
- blowingMoving air forcefully
- airGaseous envelope surrounding Earth
- inflateFill with gas
- swellIncrease in size
expand · billow · cheeks · airbag · bellows · bladder · cushion · mattress
Moisture through pores
- strainingExerting intense effort
- climbingAscending by physical effort
- joggingSlow-paced locomotion exercise
- runningSwift foot travel
exercise · workout · effort · endurance · cardio · stairs · hill · sprint
Railway pulling machine
- trainRail vehicle or instruct
- engineMachine producing motion
- boilerWater-heating vessel
- kettleSpouted vessel for heating water
whistle · vapor · chimney · smokestack · steamship · chug · billowing · plume
Excessive self-praise
- swaggeringOstentatiously self-assured manner
- vauntingBoastfully self-promoting
- blusteringSpeaking with noisy aggression
- grandstandingPerforming to impress onlookers
showboating · self-promotion · trumpeting · preening · strutting · posturing · prideful · cocky
Twice-cooked pastry dough
- éclairFilled oblong pastry
- profiteroleFilled choux sphere
- flakyCrumbly or unreliable
- laminatedBonded between protective layers
croissant · pâté · vol-au-vent · palmier · danish · turnover · phyllo · golden
Brought into one place
- ruchedGathered into soft pleats
- bishopDiocesan clergy head
- balloonInflatable rubber sac
- voluminousOf great size
shoulder · structured · dramatic · renaissance · victorian · sleeve
cigarette
Paper-wrapped tobacco cylinder
nicotine · inhale · exhale · drag · draw · ashtray · tar · filter · lighter · match
wheeze
Whistling labored breath
breathless · winded · labored · raspy · asthma · respiratory · hyperventilate · snort · sigh · inhale
balloon
Inflatable rubber sac
swell · expand · billow · cheeks · airbag · bellows · bladder · cushion · mattress · tire
sweating
Moisture through pores
- strainingExerting intense effort
- climbingAscending by physical effort
- joggingSlow-paced locomotion exercise
running · exercise · workout · effort · endurance · cardio · stairs · hill · sprint · fatigue
locomotive
Railway pulling machine
kettle · whistle · vapor · chimney · smokestack · steamship · chug · billowing · plume · funnel
bragging
Excessive self-praise
- swaggeringOstentatiously self-assured manner
- vauntingBoastfully self-promoting
- blusteringSpeaking with noisy aggression
grandstanding · showboating · self-promotion · trumpeting · preening · strutting · posturing · prideful · cocky · arrogant
choux
Twice-cooked pastry dough
- éclairFilled oblong pastry
- profiteroleFilled choux sphere
- flakyCrumbly or unreliable
laminated · croissant · pâté · vol-au-vent · palmier · danish · turnover · phyllo · golden · baked
gathered
Brought into one place
voluminous · shoulder · structured · dramatic · renaissance · victorian · sleeve
- breathlessnessshort of breath, breathless, winded, gasping, panting
- growthgrowth, grow, growing, growth rate, increase
- size changesenlarge, enlargement, expand, expansion, shrink
- smokingsmoking, cigarette, cigar, pipe, lighter
- Three Little Pigsbrick house, wolf, huffing, blowing, chimney
- train soundschoo-choo, chug, chugging, clickety-clack, clack
puffingresting
In a state of stillness
composed · serene · tranquil · steady breathing · slow breathing
puffingdeflating
Releasing contained gas
shrinking · collapsing · contracting · compressing · flattening
puffingdownplaying
Diminishing perceived significance
understating · minimizing · self-deprecating · humble · modest
- huffing and puffingLabored, noisy respiration
- puffing upInflating or expanding
- chest puffingInflating torso for show