huff and puff

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ʌf

Verb

huff and puff (third-person singular simple present huffs and puffs, present participle huffing and puffing, simple past and past participle huffed and puffed)

1. To breathe heavily, especially after rigorous exercise.
   • August 16 2014, Daniel Taylor, "Swansea upstage Manchester United in Louis van Gaal’s Premier League bow," guardian.co.uk:

     They were short of ideas, huffing and puffing their way towards a demoralising defeat.