
whiff
词源
源自中古英语 'weffe'(恶臭),可能模仿嗅闻或吹气的声音演变而来。
noun
❶ 指一阵轻微的气味或气息,通常持续时间很短,可能是好闻的也可能是难闻的。
“I caught a whiff of fresh bread as I passed the bakery.”
(经过面包店时,我闻到一阵新鲜面包的香味。)
“There was a whiff of smoke in the air after the fireworks.”
(烟花表演后,空气中飘来一丝烟味。)
❶ 指某事隐约的迹象或微弱的可能性,常用于否定或怀疑的语境。
“There wasn't a whiff of truth in his story.”
(他的故事里没有一丝真实性。)
“The investigation found no whiff of corruption.”
(调查没有发现任何腐败的迹象。)
verb
❶ 指轻微地闻到或感知到某种气味,或指挥动某物产生气流。
“She whiffed the aroma of coffee brewing.”
(她闻到了正在煮的咖啡香气。)
“He whiffed the air to catch the scent of the flowers.”
(他嗅了嗅空气,想捕捉到花香。)
常见短语
not a whiff — 表示完全没有某种迹象或可能性,强调彻底的否定。
“There's not a whiff of evidence to support his claim.”
(没有丝毫证据支持他的说法。)
catch a whiff — 指突然闻到或察觉到某种气味或迹象。
“I caught a whiff of something burning in the kitchen.”
(我闻到厨房里有东西烧焦的味道。)