stuff
noun
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Definition of stuff
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : materials, supplies, or equipment used in various activities: such as
a obsolete : military baggage
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
verbDefinition of stuff (Entry 2 of 2)
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 contempt if 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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Synonyms & Antonyms for stuff
Synonyms: Noun
capability, credentials, goods, qualification
Synonyms: Verb
brim, charge, cram, fill, heap, jam, jam-pack, load, pack
Antonyms: Verb
clear, empty, evacuate, vacate, void
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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
Guano is full of essential nitrogen—the stuff in fertilizer that helps plants grow—and flying flocks provide a robust supply. — Matt Simon, WIRED, "Rats! Coral Reefs Aren't Getting the Bird Poop They Need," 11 July 2018 According to InStyle, Rihanna has been known to make requests for a tube of the magical stuff before manicures. — Rosemary Donahue, Allure, "Why Rihanna Loves Weleda’s $12 Skin Food Moisturizer," 7 July 2018 Meanwhile, New York adopts a similar road map, no longer prosecuting stuff like public urination. — Fox News, "President Trump puts NATO on notice," 12 July 2018 While prices for services, such as haircuts, are rising, prices for goods—stuff like shoes and toasters—are not. — Justin Lahart, WSJ, "Where Rising Inflation Really Hurts," 12 July 2018 Today, in fact, the country has the 12th largest instant noodle market in the world, with 1.76 billion servings of the starchy stuff sold here each year. — Ryan Lenora Brown, The Christian Science Monitor, "What noodles can teach us about Nigeria's reluctance on free trade," 9 July 2018 This [film] is actually opening up the door for them to be involved in stuff like this. — Ryan Smith, Chicago Reader, "Film / Music / Politics Boots Riley on the ‘regular’ revolutionary messages of his radical debut film," 6 July 2018 Sweat is detoxifying Some people pay good money to sit in a sauna and sweat out the bad stuff coursing through their bodies. — Weldon B. Johnson, azcentral, "8 reasons to love the Phoenix heat in summer," 14 July 2018 As anyone who tuned into the episode noticed, many young Armenians value the eloquence and sentimentality of traditional toasting but take the old-fashioned, patriarchal stuff with a grain of salt. — Benjamin Kemper, Smithsonian, "Raising a Glass to Armenia’s Elaborate Toasting Tradition," 13 July 2018Recent 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 2017These 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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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
—used to speak in a general way about something that is talked about, written about, etc.
stuff
verbEnglish 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
\
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
verbKids Definition of stuff (Entry 2 of 2)
stuff
transitive verb
\
Medical Definition of stuff
: to choke or block up (as nasal passages) a stuffed up nose
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