miff

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”).

• (Canada, UK, US) IPA^(key): /mɪf/

• Audio (Southern England)

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

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.

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:

     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.