stuff

noun

Save Word

\ 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 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

Other Words from stuff Synonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing stuff Learn More About stuff

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun There’s a lot of stuff in water that can affect the taste of your tea too. — Max Falkowitz, Bon Appétit, 5 May 2022 And what a great thing to explore, Fox News and fake news and all of that stuff. — Michael Schneider, Variety, 5 May 2022 But the idea that (someone without health insurance or adequate resources) that has long COVID is going to have access to that kind of stuff? — AZCentral.com, 5 May 2022 Every day getting up shots, in the weight room, that type of stuff. — Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2022 Sometimes saying that kind of stuff out loud can be really scary. — Annabel Gutterman, Time, 4 May 2022 The unspoken tension is whether any of the stuff Casey documents and views is actually happening. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 1 May 2022 Duncan and Mia [Rashida Jones] share their first kiss — there’s a lot of stuff happening. — Rick Porter, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 May 2022 Because at some point, coaches want to reach the highest level and the money and all that type of stuff. — Robert Fenbers, cleveland, 25 Apr. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Meantime, Google keeps rolling out one new feature after another to stuff into the product. — Andy Meek, BGR, 6 Apr. 2022 In the pandemic’s early days, that meant figuring out how to stuff an entire branzino into a small aluminum takeout box. — Karen Kaplan Science And Medicine Editor, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2022 Your first move should be to stuff your boots: socks, underwear, and leggings do the trick. — Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 30 Jan. 2022 Democrats could argue that the fact they were forced to stuff their agenda into a reconciliation bill in order to dodge a GOP filibuster is sufficient to demonstrate Republican opposition to popular policies. — Jason Linkins, The New Republic, 15 Jan. 2022 Just remember to stuff a scarf and a coat into the luggage next to the fighting attire and iPhone chargers. — Joseph Goodman | Jgoodman@al.com, al, 6 Jan. 2022 Remember when Rich Benoit, a.k.a. Rich Rebuilds, decided to stuff the electric motor from a Zero motorcycle into an ATV to create his own electric off-road toy? — Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, 1 Dec. 2021 To Make an Eco-Friendly EV Battery, Think From the Inside Out Battery packs are designed to stuff a lot of energy into a small amount of space. — Gregory Barber, Wired, 2 Nov. 2021 Even some of the biggest Astros haters, who want to stuff José Altuve and Carlos Correa into a trash can for eternity, can’t help but root for Dusty. — Jared Diamond, WSJ, 25 Oct. 2021 See More

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.

Buying Guide

Get organized with the best storage bins selected by our Reviews team.

Learn More About stuff

Dictionary Entries Near stuff

study home

stuff

stuff chest

Statistics for stuff

Last Updated

10 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Stuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stuff. Accessed 16 May. 2022.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster Check Mark Icon

More Definitions for stuff

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 Is Not a Crayon

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