puffy

adjective

ˈpə-fē 

puffier; puffiest

1

a

: swollen in size : bloated

puffy lips

… Hagrid gazed at him for a moment through his puffy, blackened eyes, apparently taken aback.

—J. K. Rowling

also : somewhat fat : chubby

Fatty Hicks, the shrill and puffy son of Nat, flapped his hand at the beautiful stranger …

—Sinclair Lewis

b

: having a puffed up form or appearance : soft, light, and fluffy

puffy white clouds

a puffy bun

puffy hair

It is very difficult to shake hands when you're wearing ski mittens. They're so puffy and fat it's like shaking hands with giant marshmallows.

—Ann M. Martin

Not far away is a Georgian bakery where we found long, puffy loaves of wonderfully crisp bread.

—Jeffrey Steingarten

2

: blowing in puffs : gusty

a strong, puffy wind

3

: characterized by vanity or ostentation : pompous, showy

puffy rhetoric

All of my small, puffy pride at being the skipper of a tiny unit in a great nation victorious over the forces of evil seemed to blow away before the drunken racket of those three thousand men.

—Louis Auchincloss

puffiness

ˈpə-fē-nəs 

noun

Symptoms include nausea and vomiting, muscle weakness, headache and disorientation, as well as bloating and puffiness in the face and fingers.

—Susan Gilbert

Examples of puffy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This lightweight puffy tote offers similar features for a low price of $33, including a laptop compartment, interior storage pockets, two exterior side pockets (perfect for a water bottle in one and an umbrella in the other), and comfortable shoulder straps. —Erin Cavoto, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025

She was bundled in a maroon puffy jacket and turtleneck at the Detroit Lions Academy. —Tanya Wildt, Freep.com, 4 Nov. 2025

Once again, Isabella could be seen wearing a pink ensemble with a pink puffy jacket adorned with ribbons and poodles, matching pink shoes and a hat. —Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025

Come morning, your eyes look brighter and noticeably less puffy. —Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 3 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for puffy

• buffy
• fluffy
• scruffy
• stuffy