stuffy

adjective

ˈstə-fē 

stuffier; stuffiest

1

: ill-natured, ill-humored

2

: lacking in vitality or interest : stodgy, dull

3

a

: oppressive to the breathing : close

a stuffy room

b

: stuffed up

a stuffy nose

4

a

: narrowly inflexible in standards of conduct : self-righteous

b

: stiffly conventional : priggish

stuffy formalities

stuffily

ˈstə-fə-lē 

adverb

stuffiness

ˈstə-fē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• breathless
• close
• stifling
• suffocating

Examples of stuffy in a Sentence

It's very stuffy in here.

She had a stuffy nose.

I had a stuffy feeling in my head.

the stuffiest members of that exclusive club

Recent Examples on the Web

But in 2024, do those stuffier parameters—which celebrate beauty above all else—still constitute what makes costuming great? —Liam Hess, Vogue, 8 Mar. 2024

And his love of golf is helping to break barriers, with rappers like 2 Chainz and Offset among the celebrities following Khaled’s lead and getting more involved in the historically stuffy, white pastime. —Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 7 Nov. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

stuffy

adjective

ˈstəf-ē 

stuffier; stuffiest

1

: sullen sense 1, ill-humored

2

a

: lacking fresh air

a stuffy room

b

: stuffed or choked up

had a stuffy feeling in my head

3

: lacking in pep or interest : dull, stodgy

4

: self-righteous

stuffily

ˈstəf-ə-lē 

adverb

stuffiness

ˈstəf-ē-nəs 

noun

Medical Definition

stuffy

adjective

ˈstəf-ē 

stuffier; stuffiest

: affected with congestion

a stuffy nose

stuffiness

ˈstəf-ē-nəs 

noun