padding

American  

[pad-ing] / ˈpæd ɪŋ /

noun

1. material, as cotton or straw, used to pad something.

2. something added unnecessarily or dishonestly, as verbiage to a speech or a false charge on an expense account.

3. the act of a person or thing that pads.

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padding British  

/ ˈpædɪŋ /

noun

1. any soft material used to pad clothes, furniture, etc

2. superfluous material put into a speech or written work to pad it out; waffle

3. inflated or false entries in a financial account, esp an expense account

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Etymology

Origin of padding

First recorded in 1820–30; pad ¹ + -ing ¹

Explanation

A cushioning or protective material is padding. When you're moving into a new apartment, you might want to wrap your dishes in padding to keep them from being damaged. Padding has many different uses, from the padding in a padded mailing envelope to the padding in a sofa cushion that gives you a soft place to sit. There's also padding inside protective sports gear and built into yoga mats. Sometimes padding is simply used to make something seem bigger, and from this meaning comes the sense of padding meaning "unnecessary extra material," especially superfluous words in a speech or a book.

Example Sentences

More effective than extra padding was an additional question, though.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Until then, however, chances are that Mercedes will keep padding its cushion atop the standings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026

The center’s calendar is looking increasingly sclerotic as big names continue to defect, with the NSO providing much-needed padding as it moves on in the face of unending change.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 27, 2026

Enhancing the cabin’s upgraded experience are the comfy front seats with loads of padding to absorb the abuse of going off pavement.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 26, 2025

Next, I heard big hairy feet padding down the hall toward Miranda’s room.

From "The World According to Humphrey" by Betty G. Birney