whiff of perfume
1
3.0
- noun
:
toque de perfume
- I still dabbed on a whiff of perfume in the evenings after stripping down my boots, washing up, and drawing on clean Levi's.
Examples
-
The moment she entered the room, a pleasant whiff of perfume filled the air.
-
Let's not let a whiff of perfume blow off 15 years.
-
She gave off a whiff of perfume.
Fiction book (1995) -
"Go on and kiss her!" I obeyed Aunt Amanda and gave the woman a kiss, getting a whiff of perfume.
Fiction book (1993) -
A slim young woman passed by with tomatoes in her basket, leaving behind a whiff of perfume that smelled of fresh apricot.
Fiction book (1995) -
Picking up his shirt, she held it to her nose and sniffed it, trying to catch a whiff of perfume, thinking she could then picture the woman he'd been with.
Fiction book (1993) -
You can change the scenery ... ... but sooner or later, you’ll get a whiff of perfume or... ... somebody will say a certain phrase, or maybe hum something ... ... and you’re licked again.
-
As she walked past, he caught a whiff of perfume that reminded him of summer.
-
After a long day, he enjoyed the whiff of perfume lingering on her scarf.
Synonyms
605
1.0
A scent you notice with your nose
165
1.0
A pleasant smell from things like perfume or flowers
102
1.0
A pleasant smell that you notice and enjoy
83
2.6
A pleasant sweet smell from flowers or perfume
74
1.6
A pleasant smell that often comes from food, drink, or flowers
60
3.2
A short puff of air that carries a smell
23
4.4
A small, faint smell you notice briefly
11
4.6
A pleasant smell you notice in wine or perfume
3
8.8
A small puff of air carrying a faint smell
A pleasant smell from cooking or perfume
A short breath you take to smell something
Antonyms
How Strong
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a brief, light smell of perfume' is directly and transparently composed from 'whiff' (a quick puff or trace of scent) + 'of' + 'perfume' (a scent), so the overall sense is immediately derivable from the parts. The noun + of + noun pattern meaning a small trace or amount is common across languages and English, making it understandable to a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.
Etymology
Whiff of perfume comes from the tiny puff of scent that hits your nose when someone walks past or a bottle opens, with whiff like a quick breath of air and perfume the scented smell. That's why it means 'a brief, light smell'.