stuffy

[ stuhf-ee ]

adjective

, stuff·i·er, stuff·i·est.

1. close; poorly ventilated:

   a stuffy room.

2. oppressive from lack of freshness:

   stuffy air; a stuffy odor.

3. lacking in interest, as writing or discourse.

   Synonyms: stodgy

4. affected with a sensation of obstruction in the respiratory passages:

   a stuffy nose.

5. dull or tedious; boring.

   Synonyms: stodgy

6. self-important; pompous.

   Synonyms: smug

7. rigid or strait-laced in attitudes, especially in matters of personal behavior.

   Synonyms: priggish

8. old-fashioned; conservative.

   Synonyms: stodgy

9. ill-tempered; sulky.

stuffy

/ ˈstʌfɪ /

adjective

1. lacking fresh air
2. excessively dull, staid, or conventional
3. (of the nasal passages) blocked with mucus

Derived Forms

• ˈstuffily, adverb
• ˈstuffiness, noun

Other Words From

• stuffi·ly adverb
• stuffi·ness noun
• un·stuffi·ly adverb
• un·stuffi·ness noun
• un·stuffy adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of stuffy¹

First recorded in 1545–55; stuff + -y ¹

Example Sentences

The host of the services, Nefesh, maintains a fluid “come as you are” attitude, unlike the stuffy atmosphere of my youth temple.

From Los Angeles Times

Clichés raced through my head: Would she be stuffy or old-fashioned?

From Los Angeles Times

By contrast, the movie's fictional YouTubers and amateur storm chasers are overwhelmingly shown as idealistic, compassionate, colorful and far more knowledgeable about science that those stuffy official scientists.

From Salon

In conventional times, dramaturgy can seem to be an arcane, even slightly stuffy field.

From New York Times

It was part of a more approachable, less stuffy persona than that conveyed by other ambassadors.

From BBC

Related Words

• arrogant
• dreary
• genteel
• humorless
• musty
• pompous
• self-important
• staid
• stodgy