bouffant
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
-
(of a hair style) having extra height and width through back-combing; puffed out
-
(of sleeves, skirts, etc) puffed out
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bouffant
First recorded in 1875–80; from French: literally, “swelling” ( bouff(er) “to swell” + -ant adjective suffix; see -ant)
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.
James Whale’s 1935 freakquel, “Bride of Frankenstein,” imagined the companion briefly alive, sporting a white-streaked, electric-shocked bouffant before being killed by the Monster moments after her genesis.
From Salon ● Mar. 8, 2026
Sporting a flipped bouffant hairstyle and a floral wiggle dress that harked back to the 1967 film “Valley of the Dolls,” she’s not just immaculately preened for her inaugural L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2023
In one such instance, the official “Barbie” movie account responded to a fan-made image depicting Barbie with an atom bomb bouffant with the comment, “This Ken is a stylist.”
From New York Times ● Aug. 1, 2023
His bushy moustache and black bouffant hair with a trademark white streak at the front made him one of the most recognisable - and impersonated - stars of the era on ITV.
From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2023
In a photo I have of the day our new president came to visit the monument, I’m standing in front of the house, all made up, my hair in a bouffant style.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
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.
