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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stuffy
The river cruise line feels elevated without being overly stuffy, thanks in part to its Scandinavian design.
—
Megan Dubois, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
With plenty of palace intrigue and a winking Favourite-esque sense of humor, The Serpent Queen is far from a stuffy costume drama.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Feb. 2026
Those who have stuffy sinuses know how difficult sleeping can be when there’s no relief.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2026
Rooms are luxurious without feeling stuffy, and staff members have been known to indulge dogs with extra treats.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stuffy
Megan Dubois, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026
With plenty of palace intrigue and a winking Favourite-esque sense of humor, The Serpent Queen is far from a stuffy costume drama.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Feb. 2026
Those who have stuffy sinuses know how difficult sleeping can be when there’s no relief.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2026
Rooms are luxurious without feeling stuffy, and staff members have been known to indulge dogs with extra treats.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stuffy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stuffy
Adjective
-
The Bruins increased their advantage to 18 points on Dailey’s dunk less than five minutes into the second half and the visitors got no closer than nine the rest of the way.—
Steve Galluzzo,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Check the Tarrant County wait time map for the closest polling location and to check wait times for each party.—
Rachel Royster
Updated March 3,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This outfit, one of Bessette-Kennedy’s most famous, manages to turn what could feel boring—a plain khaki midiskirt—into a genuine statement.—
Jake Henry Smith,
Glamour,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Children, that great adventure, boring?—
Daniel Smith,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Rather than get irritable online, Medeiros did something positive about it.—
Dan Medeiros,
The Herald News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Manic episodes are described as prolonged periods of mood instability, in which a person can experience extreme increases in energy or euphoria, or alternatively, feel depressed or unusually irritable.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Flying can be tiring, but apparently not as tiring as seeing passengers in pajamas – at least according to one airport.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Blennies and gobies are tiring to look at, darting every which way above.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
During a fiery congressional hearing last month, Democrats excoriated Bondi over haphazard redactions in the Epstein files that exposed intimate details about victims and included nude photographs.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Blonde ambition, but be a fiery redhead and add a dash of alien glamour.—
Mykenna Maniece,
Vogue,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Georgia will surely be ready and focused on its home floor following two consecutive losses, but Bucky Ball and its suffocating style from a fresh A&M team will be too much for the Bulldogs.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
30 Jan. 2026
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Justin Edmonds / Getty Images Darnold, Mike Macdonald and a suffocating defense have led the Seahawks to the big stage for the fourth time in franchise history.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The concern followed Liam Conejo Ramos and his father when they were sent to south Texas' Dilley Immigration Processing Center, surrounded by chain-link fences on a dusty plain about 75 miles south of San Antonio.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
1 Mar. 2026
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The concern followed Liam Conejo Ramos and his father when they were sent to Dilley, surrounded by chain-link fences on a dusty plain about 75 miles south of San Antonio.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Rumors exploded across social media − claims of landmarks burning, wholesale chaos and breathless exaggeration.—
Michael McCarter,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Yet in the final, breathless minute of an already dizzying afternoon, everything came undone for USC in a stunning, 71-70 loss to Oregon that defied explanation.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stuffy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stuffy. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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