stuffy

[ stuhf-ee ]
See synonyms for: stuffystuffiness on Thesaurus.com

adjective,stuff·i·er, stuff·i·est.
  1. close; poorly ventilated: a stuffy room.

  2. oppressive from lack of freshness: stuffy air; a stuffy odor.

  1. lacking in interest, as writing or discourse.

  2. affected with a sensation of obstruction in the respiratory passages: a stuffy nose.

  3. dull or tedious; boring.

  4. self-important; pompous.

  5. rigid or strait-laced in attitudes, especially in matters of personal behavior.

  6. old-fashioned; conservative.

  7. ill-tempered; sulky.

Origin of stuffy

1
First recorded in 1545–55; stuff + -y1

Other words for stuffy

Other words from stuffy

  • stuff·i·ly, adverb
  • stuff·i·ness, noun
  • un·stuff·i·ly, adverb
  • un·stuff·i·ness, noun
  • un·stuff·y, adjective

Words Nearby stuffy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use stuffy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for stuffy

stuffy

/ (ˈstʌfɪ) /


adjectivestuffier or stuffiest
  1. lacking fresh air

  2. excessively dull, staid, or conventional

  1. (of the nasal passages) blocked with mucus

Derived forms of stuffy

  • stuffily, adverb
  • stuffiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012