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
More wearable than the Met Gala but less stuffy than the Oscars, the Vogue World dress code leaves room for some playful, riskier looks.
—
Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 27 Oct. 2025
While the flu is traditionally associated with symptoms like fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, runny or stuffy nose, headache and fatigue, children and adults alike can experience moderate to severe complications.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
Butler goes off Sitting in a stuffy, crowded pregame press conference, Kerr waxed poetic about Butler’s ability to draw fouls.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
Eye irritation or redness, fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headaches, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting or rash.
—Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stuffy
Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 27 Oct. 2025
While the flu is traditionally associated with symptoms like fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, runny or stuffy nose, headache and fatigue, children and adults alike can experience moderate to severe complications.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025
Butler goes off Sitting in a stuffy, crowded pregame press conference, Kerr waxed poetic about Butler’s ability to draw fouls.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
Eye irritation or redness, fever, chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headaches, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting or rash.
—Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stuffy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stuffy
Adjective
-
This was a decisive turn away from Hasina’s India-first posture and toward closer alignment with Beijing.—
MUHIB RAHMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Nov. 2025
-
Highly acidic foods like pickles and tomatoes will react with the can after an extended period of time, causing both taste and texture changes so pay particularly close attention to expiration dates on these items.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Despite looking like a fighter pilot who could win a game of dogfight football, Colin isn’t framed as a temptation for Marissa, and a lack of sexy secrets proves to be a recurring blind spot for the series, even if those two have plenty of other skeletons in their massive, boring closets.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
6 Nov. 2025
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All this after Fern just wanted to renovate her boring bookseller life by starting over next to her orc pal Viv’s coffee shop!—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Most cases clear up on their own without complications, but parents should contact a doctor if a child cannot keep fluids down, has a high fever lasting more than a few days or seems unusually drowsy or irritable.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
29 Oct. 2025
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Also known as irritable hip, the condition is due to inflammation of the hip joint lining.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
As that number decreases, exercises such as running and cycling will feel more challenging and tiring, and your endurance may decline as well.—
Alyssa Ages,
Outside,
23 Oct. 2025
-
But Braun was solid before tiring and working through injuries that affected him on the ball over the final month last season.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Search for answers continues following UPS plane crash As the community in Louisville, Kentucky, mourns those killed in a fiery United Parcel Service cargo plane crash, authorities warned that answers for family members may still be a way off.—
Jane Onyanga-Omara,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
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But while Christy flaunts a fiery persona in the ring, her toughest battles unfold outside it, confronting family, identity, and a relationship that becomes life-or-death.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Doors and windows were locked, producing a suffocating effect in the hot weather.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
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For Perrie Edwards, the studio can be both a sanctuary and a suffocating cocoon.—
Sophie Williams,
Billboard,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
People pour in from the dense warrens of India’s financial capital and from dusty villages thousands of kilometers away, all flowing towards the fortified, sea-facing Mumbai home of actor Shah Rukh Khan.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
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Workers are startled when a jar tumbles out of a dusty box and rolls onto the ground.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Intentional or not, Sano Masaya’s voice performance in the lead role is sometimes a bit too breathless and whimsical for the material at hand.—
Kambole Campbell,
IndieWire,
7 Nov. 2025
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Left to die, breathless and alone, Invisigal chokes while Robert screams from the other end of the comms.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stuffy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stuffy. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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