scuff

verb \ ˈskəf \

Updated on: 27 Mar 2018

Definition of scuff

intransitive verb

1 a : to walk without lifting the feet : shuffle

b : to poke or shuffle a foot in exploration or embarrassment

2 : to become scratched, chipped, or roughened by wear

a countertop that won't scuff

transitive verb

1 : ³cuff

2 a : to scrape (the feet) along a surface while walking or back and forth while standing

b : to poke at with the toe

3 : to scratch, gouge, or wear away the surface of

scuffed my shoes

See scuff defined for English-language learners

See scuff defined for kids

Examples of scuff in a Sentence

She scuffed down the hall towards her room.
scuffed up her shoes by rubbing her feet under the rung of the chair

Recent Examples of scuff from the Web

To most, the cozy slip-ons are for nothing more than scuffing around the house or wandering from the bed to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

— brooke bobb, Vogue, "Would You Wear Slippers to Work?," 2 Nov. 2017
Marseille regained the lead three minutes after halftime when midfielder Morgan Sanson's cross from the left — intended for Mitroglou — scuffed the head of center back Bakary Kone and sailed in.

— USA TODAY, "Mitroglou salvages draw for Marseille with late equalizer," 15 Oct. 2017
Willi Orban scuffed his effort beyond Ulreich and under pressure, Arjen Robben's finish left Werner needing to find the back of the net.

— SI.com, "RB Leipzig 1-1 Bayern Munich (AET): 10 Man Leipzig Crash Out on Penalties as Bayern Progress," 25 Oct. 2017
But the luxurious cabin is too nice to let kids trash it, climb on the seats and scuff the opulent leather upholstery.

— mark maynard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid: Finally, a luxury plug-in people mover," 1 Sep. 2017
The striker then nearly made an instant impact, after a mazy run from England winger Sterling created a brief opportunity for the stocky Argentinian forward, who scuffed his shot into Begovic.

— SI.com, "Bournemouth 1-2 Man City: Citizens Snatch Last Gasp Winner as Sterling Earns Win and Red Card," 26 Aug. 2017
Except for some light scuffing on the bright metal accents, the interior had also nicely survived the car’s multiplicity of dance partners.

— al haas, Philly.com, "'Test driving' a 2016 Nissan Pathfinder S rental," 21 July 2017
One of the suspect then kicked the driver’s Camaro, scuffing the bumper.

— law enforcement, The Denver Post, "Douglas County Crime Blotter: Man driving BMW with top down has window shot out," 21 Mar. 2017
Breaking up smooth surfaces and scuffing up perfection are some of Ms. Halo’s objectives in her own work.

— andy beta, New York Times, "Laurel Halo Shakes Up Her Sound After Partnering With a Humanoid Pop Star," 21 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scuff.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of scuff

origin unknown

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1768

See Words from the same year

scuff Synonyms

scuff

noun

Definition of scuff

1 a : a noise of or as if of scuffing

b : the act or an instance of scuffing

c : a mark or injury caused by scuffing

2 : a flat-soled slipper without quarter or heel strap — compare mule

See scuff defined for English-language learners

Examples of scuff in a Sentence

She slid into her scuffs and headed into the kitchen.

Recent Examples of scuff from the Web

Look close to see the black scuff marks on the back of Brackett's right shoulder and the intricate stitching around each letter and number.

— domenica bongiovanni, Indianapolis Star, "From Manning's 'RAMBO 25 WEAK MAN' to the Super Bowl: 8 things to see at new Colts exhibit," 9 Mar. 2018
The man also was stumbling and attempted to wipe paint scuffs off his truck.

— bruce geiselman, cleveland.com, "Shop reports disappearance of collectible bills: North Olmsted Police Blotter," 17 Feb. 2018
The collision left a long scuff on the side of the car.

— david r. baker, San Francisco Chronicle, "Cruise reports its first injury involving self-driving car," 20 Dec. 2017
Floods of light showed every scuff on the ancient Farrow & Ball paint, every crack in the woodwork.

— jo rodgers, Vogue, "Inside the Renovation of a 19th-Century Home in London," 11 Sep. 2017
Johnson said the Honda had a scuff on the back bumper but did not have any other damage.

— ashley luthern, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee residents noticed an unfamiliar car and called police. The car was stolen — from an alderman.," 25 Sep. 2017
Scuffing will rough up the surface, creating a locally turbulent airflow and a reduced pressure that pulls the ball toward the scuff.

— jenn stroud rossmann, The Atlantic, "The Contentious Physics of Wiffle Ball," 15 Sep. 2017
Floods of light showed every scuff on the ancient Farrow

— jo rodgers, Vogue, "Inside the Renovation of a 19th-Century Home in London," 11 Sep. 2017
Now get out the touch-up paint, stain markers and white out, and erase or color in dings, scuffs and scratches.

— marni jameson, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Ready, set, show! How to stage and sell a house," 7 Sep. 2017

First Known Use of scuff

1899

SCUFF Defined for English Language Learners

scuff

verb

Definition of scuff for English Language Learners

: to make a mark or scratch in the surface of (something) by scraping it
: to walk without lifting your feet : to drag your feet while you walk

scuff

noun

Definition of scuff for English Language Learners

: a mark that is made by scuffing something
scuffs : slippers that are open at the heel

SCUFF Defined for Kids

scuff

verb \ ˈskəf \

Definition of scuff for Students

scuffed; scuffing

1 : to scrape the feet while walking

2 : to mark or scratch by scraping

Don't scuff your good shoes.

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See words that rhyme with scuff Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for scuff Spanish Central: Translation of scuff Nglish: Translation of scuff for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of scuff for Arabic speakers

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scuff

Definition of scuff

Examples of scuff in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of scuff

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scuff

Definition of scuff

Examples of scuff in a Sentence

Recent Examples of scuff from the Web

First Known Use of scuff

SCUFF Defined for English Language Learners

scuff

Definition of scuff for English Language Learners

scuff

Definition of scuff for English Language Learners

SCUFF Defined for Kids

scuff

Definition of scuff for Students

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