fluff
Americannoun
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fluffs
plural
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light, downy particles, as of cotton.
-
a soft, light, downy mass.
a fluff of summer clouds.
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something of no consequence.
The book is pure fluff, but fun to read.
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an error or blunder, especially an actor's memory lapse in the delivery of lines.
verb (used with object)
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fluffs,
present (3rd person singular)
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fluffed,
past participle, past
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fluffing
present participle
-
to make into fluff; shake or puff out (feathers, hair, etc.) into a fluffy mass (often followed byup ).
to fluff up the sofa pillows.
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to make a mistake in.
The leading man fluffed his lines.
verb (used without object)
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fluffs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
fluffed,
past participle, past
-
fluffing
present participle
-
to become fluffy; move, float, or settle down like fluff.
-
to make a mistake, especially in the delivery of lines by a performer; blunder.
noun
-
soft light particles, such as the down or nap of cotton or wool
-
any light downy substance
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an object, matter, etc, of little importance; trifle
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informal a mistake, esp in speaking or reading lines or performing music
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informal a young woman (esp in the phrase a bit of fluff )
verb
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to make or become soft and puffy by shaking or patting; puff up
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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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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fluffsimple
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fluffssimple
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have fluffedperfect
-
has fluffedperfect
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am fluffingprogressive
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are fluffingprogressive
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is fluffingprogressive
-
have been fluffingperfect progressive
-
has been fluffingperfect progressive
Past
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fluffedsimple
-
had fluffedperfect
-
was fluffingprogressive
-
were fluffingprogressive
-
had been fluffingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of fluff
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Davies said fledglings would "glide like a kite" once they lost their fluff and got their primary feathers, and were shown the ropes by the older generation.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
While there’s nothing wrong, per se, with ExpressVPN’s extra bundled goodies, they come down to fluff.
From Salon ● Mar. 13, 2026
After losing their clutch, the eagles brought sticks, fluff and prey to the nest, and mated — all signs new eggs might come.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2026
“Superman,” arriving three years after “Jaws,” was a product of Hollywood’s move toward blockbusters and a sign that the business was aiming for fluff that would make millions of dollars.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 7, 2026
“Then the least you can do is fluff up your fur to make yourself look bigger.”
From "Invisible Inkling" by Emily Jenkins
Yeh categorizes sweet salads with affection and a wink: cookie salads, Jell-O salads, candy bar salads, fluffs.
From Salon ● Apr. 27, 2025
Casey fluffs a chip in embarrassing fashion from the fringe at 8, the ball barely travelling 18 inches, and it’s another hole gone in the second match.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 25, 2021
His white hair fluffs out above his tanned face.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2019
I’m reminded of nature’s delightful courtship rituals, like that of the bird of paradise, who clears a little spot of forest floor, fluffs his bright-colored feathers and busts a jaunty little move for the ladies.
From New York Times ● Sep. 4, 2018
It fluffs like a meringue high upon her head.
From "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli
Ellis Genge, being asked to do a job that is not really his, fluffed a loose backfield ball to hand over a third try.
From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2026
Savinho was guilty of a woeful miss when he fired wide from Cherki's pass just after the interval and the Brazilian fluffed his lines again moments later, failing to beat Roefs from close-range.
From Barron's ● Jan. 1, 2026
Launched in 1964, four years after Coronation Street, the show initially ran five days a week and was also known for performers' fluffed lines.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2025
Short answer: Syrupy oil fluffed into a semi-solid.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2025
She gave me a hard look, first with one eye and then with the other, and fluffed out her feathers.
From "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer" by Kelly Jones
Heading into the free skate section in the lead, Malinin capitulated, fluffing his signature quad axel jump and falling twice to the ice to plummet to eighth spot overall.
From Barron's ● Feb. 16, 2026
The eagle awoke and shook out its feathers, fluffing the straw surrounding the trio of eggs as the camera zoomed in.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2025
Fundamentally, Arteta isn't the one fluffing chances and missing penalties - it's more a story of individuals underdelivering.
From BBC ● Jan. 15, 2025
Additionally, adding a clean tennis ball or dryer balls can aid in the fluffing process by gently agitating the pillows.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 3, 2023
“We’ll be famous?” gushed Yasmeen, fluffing up her hair and smiling at the security camera.
From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
