miff
English
Etymology
Origin uncertain.
Pronunciation
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Noun
miff (plural miffs)
- A small argument; a quarrel.
- Synonym: tiff
- 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling:
- 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, Under the Greenwood Tree:
- John Wildway and I had a miff and parted; […]
- 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.
- 1851, T. S. Arthur, Off-Hand Sketches
Translations
an argument, quarrel
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a state of being offended
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Verb
miff (third-person singular simple present miffs, present participle miffing, simple past and past participle miffed)
- (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.
- (intransitive) To become slightly offended.
- 1905, George Barr McCutcheon, Jane Cable
- She miffed and started to reply, but thought better of it.
- 1905, George Barr McCutcheon, Jane Cable
Translations
to offend slightly
to become slightly offended
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