stuffy

[ stuhf-ee ]

adjective

stuffier, stuffiest.

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 Word Forms

• 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

Everyone will be thrilled to know that the van is solar-power ventilated so the dogs are in wonderful shape and not locked in a stuffy car.

From Los Angeles Times

Although he’s supposed to be a stuffy neurosurgeon, Dr. Roth wears furry bucket hats and yoga pants.

From Los Angeles Times

Clover scooped up a few stuffed animals, but can’t stop thinking about the one they left behind: Caravaggio the lamb, their first stuffy.

From Los Angeles Times

Yet in the stuffy room at Stansted, there was not much in Zelensky's tone that suggested he was interested in making nice.

From BBC

Her ensemble brings a range of performers to Shakespearean roles they might not be considered for in traditional, stuffy productions.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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