stuff

play

noun \ˈstəf\

Definition of stuff

1 : materials, supplies, or equipment used in various activities: such asa obsolete : military baggageb : 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 productionb : writing, discourse, talk, or ideas of little value : trash
5a : an unspecified material substance or aggregate of matter volcanic rock is curious stuffb : something (as a drug or food) consumed or introduced into the body by humansc : a matter to be considered the truth was heady stuff long-term policy stuffd : 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 greatnessb : 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 courseb : 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

stuffless

adjective

See stuff defined for English-language learners

See stuff defined for kids

Examples of stuff in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of stuff from the Web

But there is a revolution and a revelation lurking in these childlike elements—a demonstration that the immaterial stuff of time can be evoked through the most material of forms.

— The Economist, "Alexander Calder made time a sculptural medium," 22 July 2017
Forget how many movies stuff like this happens in and try to imagine it as real: a man without teeth refusing release.

— elliot kaufman, National Review, "John McCain: A Hero Under Fire," 19 July 2017
McCarthy Road stories are the stuff of Alaska legend.

— erin kirkland, Alaska Dispatch News, "A road less traveled: Driving to McCarthy with kids," 18 July 2017
Instead of covering stuff like the Rwandan genocide, media obsessed over a Hollywood murder trial starring O.J., a slow, white Bronco, Johnnie Cochran, Judge Lance Ito and the L.A. County prosecution team of Bevis Clark and Butthead Darden.

— david whitley, OrlandoSentinel.com, "O.J. Simpson should stay bottled up before he goes to Disney World," 18 July 2017
Skip ahead to 21:50 for the client-specific stuff, which includes a more reactive Library tab and new game launch pages.

— hayden dingman, PCWorld, "This week in games: Logitech acquires Astro, Steam's getting a big redesign, and more," 14 July 2017
There’s a creative ferment, with burgeoning art and tech and food scenes, a rapidly expanding rail network, and, well, all the other stuff this magazine covers.

— matthew segal, Los Angeles Magazine, "One of the Keys to Enjoying L.A. Is Driving Farther Than a Reasonable Person Should," 14 July 2017
But even that stuff is several orders of magnitude easier than shaking off the steady rain of bystander opinions.

— carolyn hax, idahostatesman, "Mom of triplets gets judged for dressing them similarly," 12 July 2017
Just health and recreational habits, and stuff like that.

— andrew unterberger, Billboard, "Juke Box Hero: Mick Jones of Foreigner Talks 40 Years of Hits," 11 July 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.

Origin and Etymology of stuff

Middle English, from Anglo-French estuffes goods, from estuffer to fill in (with rubble), furnish, equip, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German stopfōn to stop up, from Vulgar Latin *stuppare — more at stop

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

stuff

verb

Definition of stuff

transitive verb
1a : to fill by packing things in : cram the boy stuffed his pockets with candyb : to fill to satiety : surfeit stuffed themselves with turkeyc : to prepare (meat or vegetables) by filling or lining with a stuffingd : to fill (something, such as a cushion) with a soft materiale : to fill out the skin of (an animal) for mounting
2a : to fill by intellectual effort stuffing their heads with factsb : 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 bagb : 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

See stuff defined for English-language learners

Examples of stuff in a Sentence

The boy stuffed his pockets with candy.
She stuffed the laundry bag full.

Recent Examples of stuff from the Web

Ted Stankowich, a biology professor at Cal State Long Beach, has 100 coyote heads stuffed into a freezer at work.

— lauren williams, The Mercury News, "How do coyotes thrive in Southern California? Scientists dissect 200-plus carcasses to find clues," 13 June 2017
Ted Stankowich, a biology professor at Cal State Long Beach, has 100 coyote heads stuffed into a freezer at work.

— lauren williams, The Mercury News, "How do coyotes thrive in Southern California? Scientists dissect 200-plus carcasses to find clues," 13 June 2017
Ted Stankowich, a biology professor at Cal State Long Beach, has 100 coyote heads stuffed into a freezer at work.

— lauren williams, Orange County Register, "How do coyotes thrive in Southern California? Scientists dissect 200-plus carcasses to find clues," 8 June 2017
Clifton’s also prides themselves in their huge calzones that are stuffed with cheese, sauce, and your choice of six toppings.

— spoon university, USA TODAY College, "Where to find the best pizza in every U.S. state (and Washington D.C.)," 25 Apr. 2017

First Known Use of stuff

15th century

STUFF Defined for English Language Learners

stuff

play

noun

Definition of stuff for English Language Learners

: 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

verb

Definition of stuff for English Language Learners

: 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)

STUFF Defined for Kids

stuff

play

noun \ˈstəf\

Definition of stuff for Students

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

play

verb

Definition of stuff for Students

stuffed

;

stuffing

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.