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 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 Learn More About stuff

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Synonyms for stuff

Synonyms: Noun

Synonyms: Verb

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 Big companies are taking advantage of this stuff right now. — Gene Marks, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2021 Maybe kids and nerds aren’t the only ones hoarding this stuff after all. — The Editors, Robb Report, 10 Oct. 2021 Yeah, wedding, babies, families, friends, all of this good stuff. — Lindy Segal, Glamour, 8 Oct. 2021 There’s a lot of us who work here who don’t want to inject this stuff into our bloodstreams. — Lynne Curry, Anchorage Daily News, 5 Oct. 2021 Nobody loves this stuff more than advertisers, who are ever in search of news without, well, news. — Ben Smith, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2021 Some of this stuff is really interesting to listen to. — David Browne, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2021 It’s not like the folks at the networks or the league’s front office have this stuff figured out, either. — Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas News, 1 Oct. 2021 To me, all this other stuff is a lot of noise and shouldn't really factor in this weekend. — Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press, 1 Oct. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Willis anchored a defensive line that was missing two starters yet managed to stuff the run while harassing Elsea into a slew of hurried throws. — Matt Le Cren, chicagotribune.com, 9 Oct. 2021 No less helpful, there’s almost always a bright one in the bunch that figures stuff out faster than the others — how to eat solid food, where to do its business. — Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2021 The quarterback held onto the ball longer than normal, slowing the play just long enough for Alabama’s beleaguered defense to stuff the play. — Michael Casagrande | Mcasagrande@al.com, al, 18 Sep. 2021 That ability to stuff the run is the foundation on which everything the Buckeyes are more known for — pass rush and secondary play — can thrive. — Nathan Baird, cleveland, 5 June 2021 My father woke me up and told me to stuff some clothes and a water bottle into a small paper bag. — Nhial Deng, CNN, 10 Sep. 2021 Nothing else was fitting for the presumptive Defensive Player of the Year than to stuff Marcus Morris Sr. — Alex Vejar, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 June 2021 Ancient grains such as farro, kamut, teff, wheatberries, barley, bulgur, couscous, polenta, quinoa and freekeh are often used to stuff vegetables, add fiber to salads and thicken soups. — Heather Fulbright, CNN, 3 Sep. 2021 Grill your eggplant, poblanos and zucchini, stuff them inside split ciabattas, then make an herbaceous sauce. — Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2021

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

13 Oct 2021

Cite this Entry

“Stuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stuff. Accessed 17 Oct. 2021.

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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

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 Is Not a Crayon

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