1
: soft material used to cover a hard surface in order to make it more comfortable
the padding on the seat of the chairs
These shoes have extra padding in the heel.
2
: unnecessary words used to make a speech or a piece of writing longer
If you remove the padding from his speech you can see that he offers no new ideas.
Cite this Entry
“Padding.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/padding. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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