stuff
Americannoun
-
the material of which anything is made.
a hard, crystalline stuff.
-
material to be worked upon or to be used in making something.
wood, steel, and other stuff for building.
-
material of some unspecified kind.
a cushion filled with some soft stuff.
-
Chiefly British. woven material or fabric, especially wool.
-
property, as personal belongings or equipment; things.
-
something to be swallowed, as food, drink, or medicine.
-
inward character, qualities, or capabilities.
to have good stuff in one.
-
Informal. action or talk of a particular kind.
kid stuff; Cut out the rough stuff.
-
worthless things or matter.
to clean the stuff out of a closet.
-
worthless or foolish ideas, talk, or writing.
a lot of stuff and nonsense.
-
Sports.
-
Baseball. the assortment of pitches that a pitcher uses in a game together with the ability to deliver them in the proper manner at the right speed to the desired spot.
He saved his best stuff for the tougher hitters in the lineup.
-
spin or speed imparted to a ball, as by a baseball pitcher, a bowler, or a tennis player.
a pitch with plenty of stuff.
-
-
Informal. journalistic, literary, artistic, dramatic, musical, or other compositions or performances.
Bach composed some splendid stuff.
-
Informal. one's trade, skill, field, facts, etc..
She knows her stuff.
-
Slang. any kind of drug, especially an illicit one.
-
Also called stock. Papermaking. refined and beaten wet pulp ready for spreading on the wire.
verb (used with object)
-
to fill (a receptacle), especially by packing the contents closely together; cram full.
-
to fill (an aperture, cavity, etc.) by forcing something into it.
-
to fill or line with some kind of material as a padding or packing.
-
to fill or cram (oneself, one's stomach, etc.) with food.
-
Cooking. to fill (meat, vegetables, etc.) with seasoned breadcrumbs or other savory matter.
-
to fill the preserved skin of (a dead animal) with material, retaining its natural form and appearance for display.
-
to put fraudulent votes into (a ballot box).
-
to thrust or cram (something) into a receptacle, cavity, or the like.
-
to pack tightly in a confined place; crowd together.
-
to crowd (a vehicle, room, etc.) with persons.
-
to clutter or fill (the mind) with facts, details, etc.
-
(in leather manufacturing) to treat (a skin, hide, etc.) with a composition of tallow and other ingredients.
-
to stop up or plug; block or choke (usually followed byup ).
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to pack or fill completely; cram
-
(intr) to eat large quantities
-
to force, shove, or squeeze
to stuff money into a pocket
-
to fill (food such as poultry or tomatoes) with a stuffing
-
to fill (an animal's skin) with material so as to restore the shape of the live animal
-
slang to have sexual intercourse with (a woman)
-
tanning to treat (an animal skin or hide) with grease
-
to fill (a ballot box) with a large number of fraudulent votes
-
(in marine transport) to pack (a container) See also stuffing and stripping
-
slang to ruin, frustrate, or defeat
noun
-
the raw material or fabric of something
-
woollen cloth or fabric
-
any general or unspecified substance or accumulation of objects
-
stupid or worthless actions, speech, ideas, etc
-
subject matter, skill, etc
he knows his stuff
-
a slang word for money
-
slang a drug, esp cannabis
-
slang a girl or woman considered sexually (esp in the phrase bit of stuff )
-
informal to do what is expected of one
-
that is what is needed
Usage
Sense 6 of this word was formerly considered to be taboo, and it was labelled as such in previous editions of Collins English Dictionary . However, it has now become acceptable in speech, although some older or more conservative people may object to its use
Related Words
See matter.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of stuff
First recorded in 1300–50; (verb) late Middle English stuffen “to equip, furnish,” from Old French estoffer literally, “to stuff,” from unattested Frankish stopfōn, stoppōn; (noun) Middle English, from Old French estoffe, derivative of the verb; see stop
Explanation
"Good stuff!" you might say, tasting a delicious piece of cake. The word stuff could refer to all sorts of things. It's one of those words that you can use when you're too lazy to find the right word. Stuff is one of those words you use in all kinds of contexts, or for all kinds of stuff. When you throw a bunch of stuff into a bag, you could be referring to any arrangement of things. When you talk about someone's possessions, informally, you're talking about his stuff. As a verb, to stuff something, is to fill it up — like when you stuff a turkey with breadcrumbs or stuff a pillow with... stuffing.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If a specific low-value item is what you actually want, experts suggest ordering it a la carte and reserving your “endless” capacity for the more expensive stuff.
From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026
I remember coming here for pilot season and — to speak to L.A. sort of dying in terms of stuff happening here or whatever — you’d be auditioning, sometimes three times a day.
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
This is, to put it plainly, the stuff of well-considered emotional rawness, painstaking portraiture of our collective pasts.
From Salon • May 12, 2026
When Dr. Becky says to greet guilt that creeps in for not knowing this stuff, I do: “Hi, Guilt.”
From Slate • May 10, 2026
“He’s sending us stuff at school to get on her good side.”
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
