stuffier; stuffiest
Synonyms of stuffynext
1
2
: lacking in vitality or interest : stodgy, dull
3
a
: oppressive to the breathing : close
a stuffy room
b
: stuffed up
a stuffy nose
4
a
: narrowly inflexible in standards of conduct : self-righteous
b
: stiffly conventional : priggish
stuffy formalities
stuffily adverb
stuffiness noun

Examples of stuffy in a Sentence

It's very stuffy in here. She had a stuffy nose. I had a stuffy feeling in my head. the stuffiest members of that exclusive club
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Truth be told, the lobby café feels somewhat stuffy. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Mar. 2026 Mix quilts, checks, and weathered wood for a nostalgic look that’s warm but not stuffy. Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 3 Mar. 2026 There was more funding for higher education, less restrictive laws, lower voting ages, better reproductive rights for women and easier divorces, while icons of popular culture gained far greater prominence and influence as stuffy hierarchies disintegrated. Jason Burke, Time, 27 Feb. 2026 There are no characters or situations to bounce the jokes off of the way The Marx Brothers or Three Stooges were always surrounded by stoic professors or stuffy authority figures. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 27 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for stuffy

Word History

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stuffy was in 1798

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Cite this Entry

“Stuffy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stuffy. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

stuffy

adjective
stuffier; stuffiest
1
2
a
: lacking fresh air
a stuffy room
b
: stuffed or choked up
had a stuffy feeling in my head
3
: lacking in pep or interest : dull, stodgy
4
stuffily adverb
stuffiness noun

Medical Definition

stuffy

adjective
stuffier; stuffiest
: affected with congestion
a stuffy nose
stuffiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on stuffy

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