fluff

[ fluhf ]

noun

1. light, downy particles, as of cotton.
2. a soft, light, downy mass:

   a fluff of summer clouds.

3. something of no consequence:

   The book is pure fluff, but fun to read.

4. an error or blunder, especially an actor's memory lapse in the delivery of lines.

verb (used with object)

1. to make into fluff; shake or puff out (feathers, hair, etc.) into a fluffy mass (often followed by up ):

   to fluff up the sofa pillows.

2. to make a mistake in:

   The leading man fluffed his lines.

verb (used without object)

1. to become fluffy; move, float, or settle down like fluff.
2. to make a mistake, especially in the delivery of lines by a performer; blunder.

fluff

/ flʌf /

noun

1. soft light particles, such as the down or nap of cotton or wool
2. any light downy substance
3. an object, matter, etc, of little importance; trifle
4. informal.
   a mistake, esp in speaking or reading lines or performing music
5. informal.
   a young woman (esp in the phrase a bit of fluff )

verb

1. to make or become soft and puffy by shaking or patting; puff up
2. informal.
   to make a mistake in performing (an action, dramatic speech, music, etc)

Other Words From

• fluffer noun
• un·fluffed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fluff¹

1780–90; perhaps blend of flue ² and puff

Word History and Origins

Origin of fluff¹

C18: perhaps from flue ²

Example Sentences

But she stresses he’s healthy - essentially half fluff - and he’ll soon begin to drop weight naturally.

From BBC

"When he does start to fledge, he'll lose a lot of that baby fluff, and he'll also lose much of that weight, so he'll slim down nice and sleek."

From BBC

Tinker told me she feared those articles would be “more fluff than addressing the actual challenge” with claims such as “Racism is part of our lives, but it doesn’t have to be a bad thing if we are the ones ending it.”

From Salon

If you fluff a joke in a TikTok, you've always got the option of deleting the video.

From BBC

Kate reads not radar but dandelion fluff and the way wind ripples across wheat.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• fuzz
• lint