stuffy

[stuhf-ee]

adjective

stuffier, stuffiest 

1. close; poorly ventilated.

   a stuffy room.

2. oppressive from lack of freshness.

   stuffy air; a stuffy odor.

3. lacking in interest, as writing or discourse.

   Synonyms: stodgy

4. affected with a sensation of obstruction in the respiratory passages.

   a stuffy nose.

5. dull or tedious; boring.

   Synonyms: stodgy

6. self-important; pompous.

   Synonyms: smug

7. rigid or strait-laced in attitudes, especially in matters of personal behavior.

   Synonyms: priggish

8. old-fashioned; conservative.

   Synonyms: stodgy

9. ill-tempered; sulky.

stuffy

/ ˈstʌfɪ /

adjective

1. lacking fresh air

2. excessively dull, staid, or conventional

3. (of the nasal passages) blocked with mucus

Other Word Forms

• stuffily adverb
• stuffiness noun
• unstuffily adverb
• unstuffiness noun
• unstuffy adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of stuffy¹

First recorded in 1545–55; stuff + -y ¹

Example Sentences

The brainchild of Chef Donald Young, the come-as-you-are restaurant is a great gateway for those who find traditional fine dining intimidating or stuffy.

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With Armani's elegantly tailored power suits, women were offered an alternative to the stiff and stuffy dresses their mothers had worn to work.

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Regulation time was stuffy, extra-time was turgid, and the penalties were remarkably unremarkable.

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Kairat were stuffy, hard to break down, and offered little going forward, but they plotted their way through and held Celtic for 210 minutes before the lottery of the shootout.

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She was described by staff as "brilliant at working a room, fresh, chic and wasn't stuffy".

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Related Words

• arrogant 
• dreary 
• genteel 
• humorless www.thesaurus.com
• musty 
• pompous 
• self-important 
• staid 
• stodgy