Synonyms of padding

padding 1 of 3

noun

ˈpa-diŋ 

1

as in filling

soft material that is used to fill the hollow parts of something

the padding is leaking out of that pillow

Synonyms & Similar Words

• filling
• fill
• packing
• filler
• lining
• wadding
• stuffing
• pad
• quilting
• cushion
• buffer
• bumper
• fender
• interlining

2

as in exaggeration

the representation of something in terms that go beyond the facts

that feature writer is sometimes guilty of padding, since his stories often contain colorful details that can't be verified

Synonyms & Similar Words

• exaggeration
• stretching
• enhancement
• caricature
• embroidery
• coloring
• hyperbole
• magnification
• fabrication
• embellishment
• overstatement
• elaboration
• embroidering
• misrepresentation
• amplification
• hype
• hedging
• fudging
• puffery
• superlative

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• understatement
• meiosis
• minimizing
• disparagement
• belittlement
• poor-mouthing

padding

2 of 3

verb (1)

present participle of pad

as in exaggerating

to add to the interest of by including made-up details

the journalist was fired for padding certain stories to make them more interesting

Synonyms & Similar Words

• exaggerating
• coloring
• enhancing
• stretching
• expanding
• embellishing
• embroidering
• hyperbolizing
• elaborating (on)
• magnifying
• satirizing
• emphasizing
• hedging
• enlarging (on or upon)
• stressing
• amplifying
• overdoing
• fudging
• fleshing (out)
• overemphasizing
• overstating
• gussying up
• overdrawing
• playing up
• overplaying
• dressing up
• caricaturing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• minimizing
• belittling
• understating
• playing down

padding

3 of 3

verb (2)

present participle of pad

as in walking

to go on foot

a cat padded silently by

Synonyms & Similar Words

• walking
• treading
• stepping
• strolling
• wandering
• ambulating
• shuffling
• traipsing
• marching
• hiking
• footing (it)
• sauntering
• pacing
• legging (it)
• striding
• trotting
• trekking
• hoofing (it)
• promenading
• trampling
• clumping
• stomping
• tiptoeing
• trooping
• parading
• stepping out
• ambling
• tapping
• tramping
• prancing
• rambling
• power walking
• scuffing
• trudging
• stumping
• limping
• hobbling
• mincing
• stalking
• bouncing
• strutting
• waddling
• perambulating
• staggering
• gimping
• plodding
• stumbling
• moseying
• lurching
• swaggering
• footslogging
• peregrinating
• toddling
• faltering
• pussyfooting
• shambling
• sashaying
• pounding
• tripping
• tromping
• lumbering
• nipping

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of padding

Noun

The 131-foot-long installation, titled Mushrooms, recalls various 20th-century combat helmets, complete with inner padding. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Today’s show featured bold elements, with a vibrant palette of primary colors, panniers and padding that created the illusion of an enormous bottom, or exaggerated green fringing on Bermuda shorts that gave an audible swish as the models walked by. — Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2026

Verb

Several women’s World Tour teams have raised concerns that cyclists on rival teams are padding their sports bras to give them a boost in time trials, according to leading Dutch cycling news site, WielerFlits. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 4 Aug. 2026

After getting some quick sniffs in and padding around the yard for a while, Jimothy retreated into the bushes surrounding the yard. — Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026