1 : to breathe in a loud and heavy way because of physical effort He was huffing and puffing when he got to the top of the stairs. 2 : to show one is annoyed or angry She'll huff and puff for a while, but she'll calm down later.

What is it called when someone huffs and puffs?

phrase [Vs inflect] If someone huffs and puffs, they express their annoyance or dissatisfaction with a decision or situation loudly but do not do anything to change it. The British government huffed and puffed at the commission's decision. See full dictionary entry for huff.

Why does someone huff and puff?

This expression uses two words of 16th-century origin, huff, meaning “to emit puffs of breath in anger,” and puff, meaning “to blow in short gusts,” and figuratively, “to inflate” or “make conceited.” They were combined in the familiar nursery tale, “The Three Little Pigs,” where the wicked wolf warns, “I'll huff and I ...