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

That includes now being 1-0 against Belichick, who was zipped up in a puffy navy blue winter coat bearing a light blue interlocking-UNC logo on this 34-degree night. —CBS News, 30 Nov. 2025

Bagsmart Travel Toiletry Bag Ideal for jetsetters, this puffy bag with zippered closures makes keeping toiletries organized and accessible a breeze. —Isabel Garcia, PEOPLE, 30 Nov. 2025

Beauty of Joseon’s Revive Eye Serum has a lightweight, custardy gel texture that sinks in fast and leaves undereyes looking brighter and less puffy by morning, thanks to the dream duo that is retinal and ginseng. —Lily Wohlner, Allure, 29 Nov. 2025

The ultra-lightweight puffy nylon won't eat into your airline weight allowance, while elastic straps keep bottles upright and prevent spills that could ruin your clothes during turbulent flights or bumpy car rides. —Gabriela Garcia, Travel + Leisure, 28 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for puffy

• buffy
• fluffy
• scruffy
• stuffy