miff

English

Etymology

Compare German muffeln (“grouse, grumble”) and similar German words with similar meanings such as Muff, mupf, Muffel and Dutch moppen (“growl, grouse”). Probably related to mop (“grimace”).

Pronunciation

• (Canada, UK, US) IPA^(key): /mɪf/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Homophone: myth (accents with th-fronting)
• Rhymes: -ɪf

Noun

miff (plural miffs)

1. A small argument; a quarrel.

   Synonym: tiff

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC:

     nay, she would throw it in the teeth of Allworthy himself, when a little quarrel, or miff, as it is vulgarly called, arose between them.

   • 1872, [Thomas Hardy], “VIII. They Dance More Wildly”, in Under the Greenwood Tree: A Rural Painting of the Dutch School, volume I, London: Tinsley Brothers, →OCLC, part I, page 111:

     Well, to cut a long story short, by-long and by-late, John Wildway and I had a miff and parted; and lo and behold, the coming man came!

2. A state of being offended.
   • 1851, T. S. Arthur, Off-Hand Sketches:

     She's taken a miff at something, I suppose, and means to cut my acquaintance.

Translations

an argument, quarrel

• Bulgarian: спречкване (bg) n (sprečkvane)
• Esperanto: disputo
• Finnish: kahnaus, erimielisyys (fi)
• French: fâcherie (fr) f
• German: Streit (de) m
• Hungarian: összezördülés (hu), civakodás (hu)
• Russian: размо́лвка (ru) f (razmólvka), ссо́ра (ru) f (ssóra)

a state of being offended

• Bulgarian: мусене (bg) n (musene)
• Esperanto: ĉagreniĝo
• German: Verstimmung (de) f
• Russian: оби́да (ru) f (obída)

Verb

miff (third-person singular simple present miffs, present participle miffing, simple past and past participle miffed)

1. (transitive, usually used in the passive) To offend slightly.
   • 1805 March 12, Bernard DeVoto, editor, The journals of Lewis and Clark, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1953, Clark's journal, page 85:

     he [our Interpreter Shabonah] will not agree to work let our Situation be what it may nor Stand a guard, and if miffed with any man he wishes to return when he pleases

   • 1824, Sir Walter Scott, Redgauntlet

     […] answered my Thetis, a little miffed perhaps -- to use the women's phrase — that I turned the conversation upon my former partner, rather than addressed it to herself.

   • 1911, James Oliver Curwood, Philip Steele of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police

     "Don't get miffed about it, man," returned Nome with an irritating laugh.

2. (intransitive) To become slightly offended.
   • c. 1797, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “To Simplicity”, in Sonnets Attempted in the Manner of Contemporary Writers‎^[1]:

     I amble on; yet, though I know not why, / So sad I am!—but should a friend and I / Grow cool and miff, O! I am very sad!

   • 1905, George Barr McCutcheon, Jane Cable

     She miffed and started to reply, but thought better of it.

Translations

to offend slightly

• Bulgarian: разсърдвам (bg) (razsǎrdvam)
• Catalan: ofendre (ca)
• Dutch: verontwaardigen (nl)
• Esperanto: ĉagreni (eo)
• Finnish: loukata (fi)
• French: fâcher (fr)
• German: verstimmen (de), beleidigen (de)
• Italian: offendere (it)
• Portuguese: amofinar (pt)
• Russian: ^{(please verify)} выводи́ть из себя́ (vyvodítʹ iz sebjá)
• Spanish: ofensar

to become slightly offended

• Bulgarian: муся се (musja se), сърдя се (sǎrdja se)
• Dutch: zich gekrenkt voelen
• Esperanto: ĉagreniĝi
• Finnish: loukkaantua (fi)
• Hebrew: להיעלב (lehe'alev)
• Portuguese: amofinar-se
• Russian: обижа́ться (ru) n (obižátʹsja)