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
… who was … blind drunk, her voice slurry and her face puffy.Edna O'Brien
also : 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 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Related Stories The sneaker’s tongue appears a bit puffier than normal Dunk Lows, with padding reminiscent of what would be seen on an SB Dunk variation. Riley Jones, Footwear News, 13 May 2025 The look wove aspects of the traditional Chinese qipao, or cheongsam, such as the mandarin collar and a floral pattern, with unexpected flourishes – soft, puffy sculptures encircling the bust and hip, black lace and a thigh high slit. Stephy Chung, CNN Money, 12 May 2025 The name really gives it away: This comforter is ridiculously puffy. Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 9 May 2025 Keys paired the bold look with a matching puffy shawl and black platform boots. Rachel Raposas, People.com, 6 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for puffy

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1594, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of puffy was circa 1594

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Cite this Entry

“Puffy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puffy. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

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