stuff

noun

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\ ˈstəf

Definition of stuff

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : materials, supplies, or equipment used in various activities: such as

a obsolete : military baggage

b : personal property

2 : material to be manufactured, wrought, or used in construction clear half-inch pine stuff— Emily Holt

3 : a finished textile suitable for clothing especially : wool or worsted material

4a : literary or artistic production

b : writing, discourse, talk, or ideas of little value : trash

5a : an unspecified material substance or aggregate of matter volcanic rock is curious stuff

b : something (as a drug or food) consumed or introduced into the body by humans

c : a matter to be considered the truth was heady stuff long-term policy stuff

d : a group or scattering of miscellaneous objects or articles pick that stuff up off the floor also : nonphysical unspecified material conservation and … all kinds of good stuff— Eric Korn

6a : fundamental material : substance the stuff of greatness

b : subject matter a teacher who knows her stuff

7 : special knowledge or capability showing their stuff

8a : spin imparted to a thrown or hit ball to make it curve or change course

b : the movement of a baseball pitch out of its apparent line of flight : the liveliness of a pitch greatest pitcher of my time … had tremendous stuff— Ted Williams

9 : dunk shot

stuff

verb

stuffed; stuffing; stuffs

Definition of stuff (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to fill by packing things in : cram the boy stuffed his pockets with candy

b : to fill to satiety : surfeit stuffed themselves with turkey

c : to prepare (meat or vegetables) by filling or lining with a stuffing

d : to fill (something, such as a cushion) with a soft material

e : to fill out the skin of (an animal) for mounting

2a : to fill by intellectual effort stuffing their heads with facts

b : to pack full of something immaterial a book stuffed with information

3 : to fill or block up (something, such as nasal passages)

4a : to cause to enter or fill : thrust stuffed a lot of clothing into a laundry bag

b : to put (a ball, a puck, etc.) into a goal forcefully from close range

5 —used in the imperative to express contemptif they didn't like it, stuff 'em— Eric Clapton —often used in the phrases stuff it and get stuffed

6 : to stop (a ballcarrier) abruptly in a football game stuffed the runner just short of a first down

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Examples of stuff in a Sentence

Noun She got out the cooking stuff to bake some cookies. computers, word processors, and stuff like that I need a place to store my stuff. Pick that stuff up off the floor. Verb The boy stuffed his pockets with candy. She stuffed the laundry bag full.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Compared to any other ground cinnamon, this is powerful stuff. — Sarah Jampel, Bon Appétit, "This Cinnamon Tastes Like It's Spiked with Sugar (It’s Not)," 14 Feb. 2020 This is aria-grade stuff, a truth emphasized in Clifton Chadick’s spare, dreamscape set, backed by an illustration of a stage curtain. — Celia Wren, Washington Post, "GALA’s ‘Exquisita Agonia’ pours its heart out," 13 Feb. 2020 This was historic stuff, calling to mind the likes of John Havlicek, Kevin McHale, Michael Cooper and Manu Ginobili. — Bruce Jenkins, SFChronicle.com, "What’s ahead for the Warriors? Good question," 12 Feb. 2020 The testimony at the trial and the wider discourse of the #MeToo movement is the stuff of horror stories, with tell of monsters in the guise of men poised to attack. — Maya Phillips, The New Yorker, "A “Dracula” for the Age of #MeToo," 11 Feb. 2020 This is grim stuff, all the more so because the data (on emissions, the climate, the extinction rate of tens of thousands of species, etc.) are legitimately horrifying. — Emily Bobrow, WSJ, "‘Weather’ Review: Happy Thoughts?," 7 Feb. 2020 From unknown to serious contender for the presidency in less than a year: This is real Mr. Smith stuff, a tribute to the everyman nature of democracy. — Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, "Creepy Pete," 7 Feb. 2020 This material is amazingly complex stuff, made of thousands of different chemical compounds that remain from the decomposition and transformation of plants, animals and microorganisms. — Francesca Cotrufo, The Conversation, "Soil carbon is a valuable resource, but all soil carbon is not created equal," 6 Feb. 2020 Their designs are mostly from Morocco—pretty, fresh, graphic stuff with lots of black, gray, tan, and white. — Sunset Staff, Sunset Magazine, "A Rad Snowboard Park, a Throw-Pillow Throwdown, and More Things to See and Do in the West," 3 Feb. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb With prices mostly in the two or three figures, her studded leather jackets and slinky slip dresses look not unlike what stuffs the racks at H&M and Forever 21. — Sheila Marikar, New York Times, "How to Make an American Fashion Brand (No Sewing Required!)," 26 Aug. 2017 Instead, the avocado was simply halved, then stuffed with a corn salad consisting of corn, tomatoes, cilantro, peppers, and lime vinaigrette. — Birmingham Magazine, AL.com, "Birmingham Restaurant Week Review: Lunch at Bottega Cafe," 15 Aug. 2017 Airport officials say the toilet had been stuffed with paper towels, and the airline affected, Southwest, offered replacement bags to some customers. — miamiherald, "One overflowing toilet delayed thousands of people traveling to Florida," 9 Aug. 2017 Mr. Holmes Bakehouse and Smitten Ice Cream have teamed up to blow your mind this weekend, when the former’s signature croissant/muffin hybrids will be stuffed with Smitten flavors. — Marielle Wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "The 5 Best Things to Do in L.A. This Weekend," 28 July 2017 One major favorite was The Fifth Element, Luc Besson’s 1997 masterpiece, a sci-fi/action wonderment stuffed full of oddball style and weirdo Euro humor. — Richard Lawson, vanityfair.com, "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Is an Endearing, Eye-Popping Mess," 18 July 2017 One major favorite was The Fifth Element, Luc Besson’s 1997 masterpiece, a sci-fi/action wonderment stuffed full of oddball style and weirdo Euro humor. — Richard Lawson, HWD, "Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Is an Endearing, Eye-Popping Mess," 18 July 2017 THE factory of the future will be a building stuffed full of robots making robots. — The Economist, "The Gemini makersMillions of things will soon have digital twins," 13 July 2017 Some products that could be coming soon to your favorite food retailer: Mini bagels shaped almost like tennis balls, cheesecake stuffed inside ice cream-style cones and a delicately flavored beverage derived from unroasted coffee beans. — Charles Passy, WSJ, "Cricket Bars, Anyone? Quirky Foods Take Center Stage at Gourmet Trade Show," 26 June 2017

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

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Last Updated

17 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Stuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stuff. Accessed 28 Feb. 2020.

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More Definitions for stuff

stuff

noun

English Language Learners Definition of stuff

(Entry 1 of 2)

: materials, supplies, or equipment

: a group or pile of things that are not specifically described

informal —used to speak in a general way about something that is talked about, written about, etc.

stuff

verb

English Language Learners Definition of stuff (Entry 2 of 2)

: to fill (something) so that there is no room for anything else

: to push (something) quickly and carelessly into a small space

: to put a seasoned mixture of food into (something that is being cooked)

See the full definition for stuff in the English Language Learners Dictionary

stuff

noun

\ ˈstəf

Kids Definition of stuff

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : materials, supplies, or equipment that people need or use We helped move his stuff to the new apartment.

2 : writing, speech, sounds, actions, or ideas of little value … some of the boys act so immature, making monkey sounds and stuff.— Paula Danziger, Amber Brown

3 : something mentioned or understood but not named Wipe that stuff off your face.

4 : basic part of something : substance The floor is made of tough stuff. She shows the stuff of greatness.

stuff

verb

stuffed; stuffing

Kids Definition of stuff (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to force into something : thrust She stuffed the clothes into a drawer.

2 : to fill by packing or crowding things in : cram I stuffed the suitcases.

3 : overeat, gorge

4 : to fill with a stuffing stuff a turkey

5 : to block up : congest His nose is stuffed.

stuff