Jeff
noun
a male given name, form of Jeffrey.
Jeff
American
[jef]
/ dʒɛf /
noun
jeff
British
/ dʒɛf /
verb
-
to downsize or close down (an organization)
-
to reduce (staff numbers) or dismiss (an employee)
-
to spoil or destroy ruthlessly
Etymology
Origin of jeff
C20: named after Jeff Kennett, former premier of the state of Victoria, Australia
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.
“Most people think of retirement risk in terms of market crashes,” said Jeff Judge, a certified financial planner in Forest Hill, Md. “Healthcare is the one that actually derails the most plans I’ve seen.”
From MarketWatch • Jun. 15, 2026
Thousands of comments laid out for Jeff Guenther, as he’s known in real life, his perceived error.
From Slate • Jun. 15, 2026
By January 2021, the tech mogul had risen to become the world's richest person, briefly overtaking Jeff Bezos.
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026
He was unseated by Jeff Koons's "Rabbit" a year later.
From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026
“We’re not the closest school to the hospital,” said Jeff, staring down at the top of his desk.
From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott
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.
