Meanings
present singular third person sniffles · participle present sniffling · participle past sniffled · past sniffled
- intransitiveTo make a whimpering or sniffing sound when breathing, because of a runny nose.
Her dad heard her sniffling and passed her a handkerchief.
- transitiveTo utter with a whimpering or sniffing sound.
He sniffled a pathetic apology.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe act of breathing heavily through the nose (as when the nose is congested)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From sniff + -le (frequentative suffix). Compare snivel.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian подсмърчам, подсмърчане
- подсмърчам (podsmărčam)to make a whimpering sound when breathing
- подсмърчане (podsmărčane)act or sound
- хрема (hrema)condition
Catalan roflar
- roflarto make a whimpering sound when breathing
Czech popotahovat, posmrkávat
- popotahovatto make a whimpering sound when breathing
- posmrkávatto make a whimpering sound when breathing
- rýmacondition
Finnish niiskauttaa, niiskuttaa
- niiskauttaato make a whimpering sound when breathing
- niiskuttaato make a whimpering sound when breathing
- niiskautusact or sound
- niiskutusact or sound
- nuhacondition
German schnüffeln
- schnüffelnto make a whimpering sound when breathing
Hungarian szipog
- szipogact or sound
Irish bheith ag smaoisíl, bheith ag smaoisireacht
- bheith ag smaoisílto make a whimpering sound when breathing
- bheith ag smaoisireachtto make a whimpering sound when breathing
Portuguese fungar o nariz
- fungar o narizto make a whimpering sound when breathing
Russian всхли́пывать, всхли́пнуть
- всхли́пывать (vsxlípyvatʹ)to make a whimpering sound when breathing
- всхли́пнуть (vsxlípnutʹ)to make a whimpering sound when breathing
- шмыгать носом (šmygatʹ nosom)to make a whimpering sound when breathing
- прошмыгать носом (prošmygatʹ nosom)to make a whimpering sound when breathing
- всхли́пывание (vsxlípyvanije)act or sound
Spanish sorberse los mocos, moquear
- sorberse los mocosto make a whimpering sound when breathing
- moquearto make a whimpering sound when breathing
- moqueoact or sound
- moqueaderacondition
Ukrainian шмо́ргати но́сом, шмо́ргнути но́сом
- шмо́ргати но́сом (šmórhaty nósom)to make a whimpering sound when breathing
- шмо́ргнути но́сом (šmórhnuty nósom)to make a whimpering sound when breathing
Vietnamese sụt sịt
- sụt sịtto make a whimpering sound when breathing
Welsh sniffian, snwffian
- sniffianto make a whimpering sound when breathing
- snwffianto make a whimpering sound when breathing
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with sniffle
All rhymes →Cite this entry
sniffle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sniffle
“sniffle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sniffle. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sniffle,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sniffle.
Source: sniffle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.