puffings
Short heavy breaths
Puffings is the plural of puffing—instances of blowing air or breath in short bursts.
A steam engine releases puffings of smoke.
Someone catching their breath produces puffings.
The word also covers acts of inflating or promoting: the puffings of publicists trying to build buzz.
Each puff gets counted when you need the plural.
Rapid labored breathing
- gaspingBreathing in sharp gulps
- wheezingHarsh, whistling respiration
- huffingLabored, audible breathing
- blowingMoving air forcefully
exhaling · breathlessness · labored · winded · heaving · snorting · respiratory · exertion
Puffing out dramatically
- ventingReleasing emotion verbally
- steamingReleasing hot vapor
- exhaustUse up entirely
- chimneyVertical smoke passage
locomotive · kettle · smoke · emissions · wisps · plumes · clouds · vapor
Overstating for effect
- boastingExcessive self-praise
- hypingPromoting with exaggeration
- inflatingCausing to expand
- publicityMedia-driven awareness
advertising · marketing · touting · praising · embellishing · overstating · spinning · aggrandizing
panting
Rapid labored breathing
- gaspingBreathing in sharp gulps
- wheezingHarsh, whistling respiration
- huffingLabored, audible breathing
blowing · exhaling · breathlessness · labored · winded · heaving · snorting · respiratory · exertion · shortness
billowing
Puffing out dramatically
chimney · locomotive · kettle · smoke · emissions · wisps · plumes · clouds · vapor · rising
exaggerating
Overstating for effect
publicity · advertising · marketing · touting · praising · embellishing · overstating · spinning · aggrandizing · trumpeting
pastry
Buttery baked dough
- chouxTwice-cooked pastry dough
- cream puffsFilled choux shell desserts
- bakingCooking with dry heat
rising · leavening · souffles · dough · inflating · oven · golden · airy · light · flaky
puffingscriticisms
Negative evaluations of work
disparagement · condemnations · denunciations · understatements · deflations
- huffing and puffingLabored, noisy respiration
- puffing upInflating or expanding
- chest puffingInflating torso for show