fluff

American  

[fluhf] / flʌf /

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.

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verb (used with object)

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

   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 British  

/ 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 )

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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)

Usage

What does fluff mean? Fluff is a light, soft mass, such as cotton or a cloud, as in After I shaved my head, the hair that grew back was soft, like fluff. To fluff something means to shake or puff out something, as with pillows. When you fluff your hair, you might shake it out a bit so that it puffs up and looks fluffy. Fluff can also describe something that is of little importance, such as a novel that someone deems fun but not at all serious. Fluff is also a mistake, especially a situation in which an actor forgets their lines. To fluff is to make such a mistake, as in Valerie fluffed her lines during the first scene, but she quickly recovered. Example: When Grace and I were stuffing the pillows we had made, we had fluff flying all over the living room.

Other Word Forms

• fluffer
  noun
• unfluffed
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of fluff

1780–90; perhaps blend of flue ² and puff

Explanation

Fluff is a soft, light puffy or feathery material. Your pet angora rabbit is covered in fluff, and when you blow the down off a dandelion, you can call that fluff too. A department store window designer might use white cotton fluff as snow in his holiday display, and a bored dog might pull the fluff out of every pillow in the house while you're at work. The word fluff is also a verb meaning "to shake or ruffle until something looks fuller." It's also a great way to describe something meaningless or frivolous: "I had high hopes for the newspaper article, but it was just fluff."

Example Sentences

Notaro lives near Hollywood with her wife, actor Stephanie Allynne, their 9-year-old fraternal twin boys, Max and Finn, and three cats, Fluff, Linus and Skip.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2026

This year features a record-breaking 150 rescue dogs from 72 shelters across the United States, Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands, split into Team Ruff and Team Fluff.

From Salon • Feb. 8, 2026

The chart rundown quickly became an essential part of the programme, and the arrival of Australian DJ Alan "Fluff" Freeman in 1961 made the programme even more popular.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2024

Fluff the quinoa with a fork, transfer to a small plate and cool to room temperature, stirring once or twice, about 30 minutes.

From Washington Times • May 25, 2023

Anyway, most of the kids called me Fluff, and I kept thinking, This is so stupid, because there’s a lot more to me than half of what I put in a sandwich.

From "The Misfits" by James Howe

Related Words

• fuzz
• lint