The word 'whiff' first appeared in English in the late 16th century, originally meaning a slight puff or gust of wind or air. Its formation is imitative, meant to evoke the sound of a light, quick exhalation. This core sense of a small, fleeting movement of air naturally extended to describe a faint, brief smell carried by such a puff. Over time, its meaning broadened metaphorically to include any slight trace or hint of an intangible quality, and in sports, it came to describe a missed swing, where the club or bat moves through the air without making contact.

This word is considered a simplex form. It is an imitative or onomatopoeic word, likely formed to imitate the sound of a light puff of air or the act of sniffing.