duff 1 of 2

noun

Definition of duffnext
as in bum
the part of the body upon which someone sits I've been sitting on my duff all day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

duff

2 of 2

adjective

British
as in base

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of duff
Noun
The oval leaves of wintergreen catch your eye with their waxy shine, emerging out of the duff. — Literary Hub, 2 June 2025 Low fire danger indicates fuels not igniting easily from small embers, fires potentially starting in duff or dry wood from an intense heat source and easy to control fires. — Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 7 May 2025 And as many as 40% prefer sitting on their duff to exercising. — Bryan Robinson, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025 Be sure to also scour leafy duff, moss, tree roots, and other low-lying areas. — Matthew Every, Outdoor Life, 5 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for duff
Recent Examples of Synonyms for duff
  1. bum
  2. base
  3. seat
  4. low-grade
  5. cheeks
  6. lousy
  7. tail
  8. cheap
Noun
  • In terms of consistency, there really is no bum track on this album.
    — David Harris, SPIN, 21 July 2026
  • The Coliseum stayed in business for 500 years, bums in seats twice a week, watching people hack each other to death.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Definition of bum
Adjective
  • Renner said Donalds is ignoring base Republican voters in his campaign, especially by refusing to debate him, Collins and conservative activist and investor James Fishback.
    — Gray Rohrer, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
  • An animal story set in motion by the basest human impulses—though also distinguished by some of our best—the novel is tied deeply into both ancient literary tradition and tragically perennial concerns.
    — Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
Definition of base
Noun
  • Founded in 2011, Black Girls Code has spent more than a decade trying to change who gets a seat at the table in tech.
    — Carson Bonner, AJC.com, 3 Aug. 2026
  • All of the tickets for the inaugural game were sold, but there were some empty seats due to the weather conditions that kept the players from taking batting practice on the field and delayed the first pitch.
    — Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of seat
Adjective
  • Add the hour of scrolling, the rumination on a relationship that isn’t working, and (maybe the costliest line item of all) the constant, low-grade worry about what other people think.
    — Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Any remaining nutrient-rich liquid from the digestion process, called digestate, will also be processed into low-grade liquid fertilizer.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of low-grade
Noun
  • Hernandez, 17, might be the most fascinating addition of the entire deadline, a both-cheeks swing of an acquisition that might take the better part of a decade to connect.
    — Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The facial fat pads that create fullness in the cheeks and temples sometimes shrink faster than skin can retract, producing a characteristic hollowing and laxity.
    — Jesse Pines, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of cheeks
Adjective
  • He’s made some pretty good moves and some pretty lousy ones during his tenure.
    — Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 28 July 2026
  • If wildfire events will get only more common, then this lousy measure must be fixed.
    — Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026
Definition of lousy
Noun
  • What is also notable is that there’s a sharp drop-off after the top three, which is followed by a long, gradual tail.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 31 July 2026
  • The family dog, named by local media as Rocky, was found alive after one of the rescuers spotted his tail poking out of the rubble.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 30 July 2026
Definition of tail
Adjective
  • And wind down on Relic NoDa’s rope swings while sharing a cheap carafe.
    — Laura Horne July 31, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2026
  • In 2022, demonstrators rallied against high electricity prices in the region, which supplies other parts of Pakistan with cheap hydroelectric power.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 30 July 2026
Definition of cheap

Browse Nearby Words

due to
duff
duffel bag
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Duff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/duff. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of torpor

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All