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
Save yourself the stuffy nose and wash those sheets weekly.
—
Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 25 May 2026
There are many options available from common paint brands that can evoke a similar feeling without making your kitchen feel stuffy.
—Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 24 May 2026
Symptoms range from mild to serious and can include skin rashes, hives, a stuffy nose, upset stomach, and vomiting.
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 22 May 2026
The wine world is sometimes thought of as stuffy, but not the Willamette.
—Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for stuffy
Lauren Wicks, Southern Living, 25 May 2026
There are many options available from common paint brands that can evoke a similar feeling without making your kitchen feel stuffy.
—Shagun Khare, The Spruce, 24 May 2026
Symptoms range from mild to serious and can include skin rashes, hives, a stuffy nose, upset stomach, and vomiting.
—Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 22 May 2026
The wine world is sometimes thought of as stuffy, but not the Willamette.
—Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for stuffy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stuffy
Adjective
-
Villegas was projected as the second candidate to advance on Tuesday, a week after the election, after a close contest.—
Caitlin Yilek,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
-
There is still just something about being part of the mood of the whole nation, and being up that close to see it, that is really cool.—
Jack Pitt-Brooke,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
If your summer wardrobe is feeling a bit boring or outdated, don’t fret — Amazon just added tons of new styles to its sale section, and my top picks are all going for $10 or less.—
Emily Weaver,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
-
Finally, the institution must be financially boring.—
Christos Korgan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
But Maguire, now 43, became sad and irritable, and didn’t want to be around his newborn.—
Keith Wagstaff,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
-
Additionally, Owens' youngest child, Titus, who was just a toddler when his mother died, was confused, irritable and inconsolable in the weeks after her death, Dias shared.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
For all the deserved talk about the Knicks’ dynamic offense, the defense has been far more stifling than their reputation suggests.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
Her mother, who had a staid upbringing in California, came to New York in the early sixties looking for someplace more diverse and less stifling.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The longtime Florida coach swapped a tiring McDonald for Russell Sandefer with one out in the top of the sixth inning.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 June 2026
-
By combining both the heated air flow of a blow dryer and a round brush in a single tool, this product is much simpler and less tiring to use than working with a separate hair dryer and round brush.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Video of the crash shared with the Statesman showed the airplanes colliding, spinning together and crashing to the ground in a fiery explosion.—
Nicole Blanchard,
Idaho Statesman,
11 June 2026
-
During his interview with The New York Times after his ouster, Pelley provided some context for his fiery statements directed at Bilton during that tumultuous all-hands meeting.—
Marlow Stern,
Variety,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Following a first week marked by a suffocating heatwave, relief finally arrived in Paris on Sunday, with temperatures dropping to 21 degrees C (70 F) around midday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 May 2026
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This matchup features two ascendant young stars in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama (who finished first and third in MVP voting, respectively), exciting young talent, a legitimate regional rivalry and two suffocating defenses.—
Greg Rosenstein,
NBC news,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
The other factor is June usually has a lot of dry dusty air that crosses the Atlantic from Africa.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
-
Les Airelles Courchevel’s Hans Anderson details were crafted in the 1990s, avoiding the cold corridors and austere, dusty libraries of centuries-old country houses.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stuffy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stuffy. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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