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
Gone are the days when working out at a hotel meant using outdated machines in a stuffy, cramped gym; today’s top properties are re-thinking fitness as a central park of the guest experience, designing trails, courts, and classes to immerse them in more natural surroundings.
—
Rana Good, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Jan. 2026
Fluid moves differently in the body while in space, leading many crew members to feel stuffy, for example, or to experience headaches and backaches.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 9 Jan. 2026
Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue, vomiting and diarrhea.
—Jason Green, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
Flu symptoms in adults and children come on quick, with symptoms lasting from a few days to two weeks, with fatigue and chills to start, followed by fever, body aches, cough, headache, sore throat, congestion, and runny or stuffy nose, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
—Lori Comstock, Freep.com, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stuffy
Rana Good, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Jan. 2026
Fluid moves differently in the body while in space, leading many crew members to feel stuffy, for example, or to experience headaches and backaches.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 9 Jan. 2026
Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue, vomiting and diarrhea.
—Jason Green, Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2026
Flu symptoms in adults and children come on quick, with symptoms lasting from a few days to two weeks, with fatigue and chills to start, followed by fever, body aches, cough, headache, sore throat, congestion, and runny or stuffy nose, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
—Lori Comstock, Freep.com, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stuffy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stuffy
Adjective
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In recent years, Rivkin has formed a close bond with Olga Smirnova, a clinical social worker who visits him weekly through a home-visit program run by Maimonides Medical Center.—
Hannah Kliger,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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Meanwhile, Mémoires Colorées was born out of Patrick Frey’s (who currently helms Pierre Frey) close friendship with Belgian artist and paper sculptor Isabelle de Borchgrave.—
Stephanie Sporn,
Vogue,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Some skyscrapers are quite uniform and rather boring.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2026
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Writing that’s as boring as your dullest relative was likely written by a chatbot that can’t see, hear, taste, smell, touch — or feel.—
Karen Stabiner,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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On the contrary, Juventus’ football soothed even the most irritable sections of the crowd.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
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This can include feeling irritable, having a low frustration tolerance, feeling easily overstimulated, and having rapid shifts in emotion.—
Korin Miller,
SELF,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
When Jensen was tiring of running her own business, her little brother did her the same favor of helping her land a job with the cannabis dispensary From The Earth at their Brookside location, where she was quickly hired and loved by her coworkers.—
PJ Green
January 7,
Kansas City Star,
7 Jan. 2026
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Although Richardson has only appeared in 25 of the 36 contests so far in his rookie campaign, the near first-half of his first year as a professional has been tiring for the 20-year-old who’s continued to adjust to his new life in Orlando.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Rooted in their culture that values family, friendships and loyalty above everything else, emotions often take over as these fiery personalities navigate their highs, lows and everything in between.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2026
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The necklace is a symbol of Taylor's fiery love story with Richard Burton.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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After the 49ers’ explosive offense was dominated by Seattle in Week 18, what buttons can coach Kyle Shanahan press to create some offense against a suffocating Seahawks defense?—
Ted Nguyen,
New York Times,
15 Jan. 2026
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Those laughs are balanced with real world issues, and a longing for these gentlewomen locked into the suffocating zeitgeist of early 1800s British Regency.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
12 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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The hotel’s contemporary concrete architecture acts as a bracing-yet-beautiful contrast to the dusty rock plateaus, while many of its minimalist guest rooms come with private plunge pools that look out to the horizon.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
22 Jan. 2026
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Windowsills get dusty really fast when dry air causes static electricity in your home.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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However, in comparison to the breathless enthusiasm of previous years, the talk was centered firmly on value.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Joseph Kosinski’s big, fun, breathless racing movie, which also got into best editing, sound, and visual effects—proof that no matter how international and high-brow the Academy gets, crowd-pleasing blockbusters never go out of fashion.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stuffy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stuffy. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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