1
as in close
lacking fresh air
the house was very stuffy after being closed up for a month
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest
nothing stuffy about this science museum—it's all interactive and fun
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
those nursing home residents with a reputation for being chronically stuffy were usually the last to receive attention
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stuffy
Off-Beat Moments Despite being a traditional decorating style that translates well to formality and grandeur, modern English style is not stuffy.
—
Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2025
Thanks to open-cell technology, air flows easily through the material to prevent you from getting hot and stuffy while sleeping.
—Shea Simmons, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025
David Ketchum, the goofy comic actor and prolific TV writer best known for squeezing into such stuffy spaces as vending machines, trash cans and airport lockers as Agent 13 on the fabled sitcom Get Smart, has died.
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025
Neither divvy nor stuffy, the Dasha Barbours experience sits right in the middle.
—Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stuffy
Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Aug. 2025
Thanks to open-cell technology, air flows easily through the material to prevent you from getting hot and stuffy while sleeping.
—Shea Simmons, People.com, 27 Aug. 2025
David Ketchum, the goofy comic actor and prolific TV writer best known for squeezing into such stuffy spaces as vending machines, trash cans and airport lockers as Agent 13 on the fabled sitcom Get Smart, has died.
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 22 Aug. 2025
Neither divvy nor stuffy, the Dasha Barbours experience sits right in the middle.
—Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stuffy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stuffy
Adjective
-
Looking back at Charlotte’s recent FCS opponents, dating back to 2021, the 49ers haven’t won the turnover battle in any of the four matchups, resulting in uncomfortably close games and even a lopsided loss to William & Mary in 2022.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
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As Vevo’s Senior Manager of Talent Booking, Cynthia Todd emphasized the close partnership and trust that goes into making opportunities like these special performances come together in Live From Vevo Studios.—
Jeff Benjamin,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Historically, tracking demand for electricity was a boring task marked by little to no change.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Uranus has already been demanding freedom in your day-to-day, pushing you to ditch boring structures.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Instead, Helen is allowed to be irritable and anti-social, chain-smoking and snappish, without the filmmaker casting judgment.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
2 Sep. 2025
-
If you are rushed or irritable, say so.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Without a strict hierarchy or single decision-maker, our process can sometimes be slow, messy, or even tiring.—
Caterina De Biasio,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The film is a mess, opaque in its argument and tiring in its effortful weirdness, and yet in its best moments has a hypnotic pull.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Missouri Republican lawmakers late Thursday voted to advance a new, gerrymandered congressional map despite hours of fiery public testimony against the proposal.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
4 Sep. 2025
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As the mystery unravels from multiple POVs, Alex’s kooky aunt Gladys (Amy Madigan) is revealed as the orchestrator of the tragedy — her fiery orange hair, nimble fingers, ghostly face and wicked crimson smile a memorable image that haunts the narrative.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The suffocating Benz pushed the lifelong asthmatic to the edge.—
Sam Bloch
August 8,
Literary Hub,
8 Aug. 2025
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And with the team operating under the suffocating grip of new CBA, every dollar must work overtime.—
Brian Sampson,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
Adjective
-
Use the floor brush for stairs, the crevice tool for windowsills and couch cushions, and the dusting brush for dusty surfaces.—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
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Poor Ventilation Along with the increase in moisture and humidity, another leading cause for a dusty bathroom is poor ventilation.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The first few minutes of the film are a breathless, almost wordless introduction to the Otherlands, with Scarlet trapped under rotting hands clamoring to keep her there.—
Adam Solomons,
IndieWire,
4 Sep. 2025
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There have been no breathless interviews about wedding plans or a tour hiatus.—
Gemma Allen,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stuffy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stuffy. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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