Sniffly

Describing a state of nasal congestion and the act of frequently sniffing to clear the nostrils. This condition is typically caused by a cold, allergies, or other upper respiratory irritations. A sniffly person may experience difficulty breathing through their nose, a runny nose, and the need to constantly sniffle or wipe their nose. The level of severity can vary from mild irritation to significant discomfort and can disrupt daily activities, sleep, and the ability to concentrate. It is often accompanied by sneezing, coughing and sometimes headache. The characteristic symptom is the repeated inhaling through the nose to clear nasal passages.

Sniffly meaning with examples

• The child, battling a winter cold, was incredibly sniffly, constantly reaching for tissues to wipe their runny nose. Every few minutes, a characteristic sniff could be heard as the child tried to clear congested nasal passages. This was making playing games and trying to concentrate almost impossible.
• After walking through the blooming fields, Sarah felt increasingly sniffly, realizing she was suffering from an allergic reaction to the pollen. Her eyes started to water and soon developed a very congested and irritated nose. She was soon reaching for an anti-histamine to try and alleviate the discomfort.
• The presenter was noticeably sniffly during the conference call, frequently pausing to sniffle and blow their nose. The recording from the call also picked up the many audible sniffs. Colleagues in the meeting immediately picked up that they had come in with some cold or flu-like symptoms.
• Despite the warm weather, the air conditioning in the office made Maria sniffly, leaving her nose itchy and irritated. The frequent changes between indoors and outdoors and the varying humidity exacerbated the problem, prompting frequent trips to the restroom for tissue.