overstuff

verb

over·​stuff ˌō-vər-ˈstəf How to pronounce overstuff (audio)
overstuffed; overstuffing; overstuffs

transitive verb

1
: to stuff too full
2
: to cover (a piece of furniture, such as a chair or sofa) completely and deeply with upholstery

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web The futomaki are exactly that — so overstuffed with rice they can barely be contained, like sushi rolls that are wearing clothes two sizes too small. Lucas Kwan Peterson, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2023 Lowery and Halbrook overstuff the narrative, which begins to wobble and drag under the weight of its obligations. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Apr. 2023 Depending on your appetite, and possibly your budget, the market is either overstuffed with steak frites right now or enjoying the pendulum swing from the multitude of Italian restaurants of the last few years. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 21 Apr. 2023 The romantic action comedy has always had a breathlessly eager-to-please, overstuffed quality. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 Apr. 2023 To the north sat a region home to one of the country’s most robust transit systems, with weekday trains overstuffed with office commuters and an enviable network of buses responsible for tens of millions of monthly trips. Ricardo Cano, San Francisco Chronicle, 18 Mar. 2023 But it’s also overstuffed, teeming with more characters and ideas than can be successfully scaled for television. Joshua Alston, Variety, 30 Mar. 2023 Yes—both the songs and the set, at times, seemed overstuffed: with performers, with musical numbers, and with plot points to be hit, sung, spun, and moved on from. Corey Seymour, Vogue, 16 Mar. 2023 The main reading room is a little overstuffed with stacks, obscuring the grand, handsome space that Christoff has created and filled with elegant, bespoke furniture. Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overstuff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1715, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of overstuff was in 1715

Dictionary Entries Near overstuff

Cite this Entry

“Overstuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overstuff. Accessed 8 Jun. 2023.

More from Merriam-Webster on overstuff

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!