fluff

[ fluhf ]

/ flʌf /

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See synonyms for: fluff / fluffed / fluffing on Thesaurus.com

noun

light, downy particles, as of cotton.

a soft, light, downy mass: a fluff of summer clouds.

something of no consequence: The book is pure fluff, but fun to read.

an error or blunder, especially an actor's memory lapse in the delivery of lines.

verb (used with object)

to make into fluff; shake or puff out (feathers, hair, etc.) into a fluffy mass (often followed by up): to fluff up the sofa pillows.

to make a mistake in: The leading man fluffed his lines.

verb (used without object)

to become fluffy; move, float, or settle down like fluff.

to make a mistake, especially in the delivery of lines by a performer; blunder.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of fluff

1780–90; perhaps blend of flue² and puff

OTHER WORDS FROM fluff

fluffer, nounun·fluffed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use fluff in a sentence

Only when they’ve scattered their dry food all over the kitchen floor and left enough fluff, hair, and fur on your sofa that you could make a sweater out of it, can it be tricky to remember what made them so appealing in the first place.
Best vacuum cleaner: How to tidy up fast|Charlotte Marcus|January 14, 2021|Popular-Science
Pairs bundled together in nose-to-tail swathes of fluff “like a big scarf,” Nyawira says.
Rats with poisonous hairdos live surprisingly sociable private lives|Susan Milius|January 12, 2021|Science News
This rich homemade hot chocolate is the ultimate snow day treatThere’s nothing wrong with store-bought marshmallows, but they can’t compete with the homemade variety, which glisten as they toast and melt into soft, sweet puffs of perfect fluff.
Squishy, sweet homemade marshmallows will elevate your s’mores and hot chocolate|Daniela Galarza|January 12, 2021|Washington Post
It’s recommended that you hand wash or dry clean to maintain optimum structure and fluff.
Earmuffs and knit bands that will absolutely keep your heads warm|PopSci Commerce Team|January 8, 2021|Popular-Science

It had an impossible texture, like cold fluff or maybe sweet memory foam, and watching a video of how the perfect ice cream waves are made remains mesmerizing.
Viennetta, the Fanciest Dessert of the ’90s, Is Back|Jaya Saxena|January 7, 2021|Eater
For one split second, she seemed to be fluffing up her hair, a vulnerable gesture.
Chile's Etiquette of Love|Tracy Quan|October 16, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Emma McChesney took off her hat before the dim old mirror, and stood there, fluffing out her hair here, patting it there.
Roast Beef, Medium|Edna Ferber
Much sneezing went on in this corner and he who wonders why, might try once fluffing unrefined cotton.
Molly Brown's College Friends|Nell Speed
"She was not an ordinary woman," said the Snowy Egret, fluffing her white spray of plumes.
The Trail Book|Mary Austin
Having done so, she stood before the mantel-mirror, fluffing up her hair a little, where the hat had pressed it down.
Angela's Business|Henry Sydnor Harrison
She turned from him deliberately, under the fiction of fluffing up her hair before a gilt mirror near the door.
The Blood Red Dawn|Charles Caldwell Dobie

British Dictionary definitions for fluff

fluff

/ (flʌf) /

noun

soft light particles, such as the down or nap of cotton or wool

any light downy substance

an object, matter, etc, of little importance; trifle

informal a mistake, esp in speaking or reading lines or performing music

informal a young woman (esp in the phrase a bit of fluff)

verb

to make or become soft and puffy by shaking or patting; puff up

informal to make a mistake in performing (an action, dramatic speech, music, etc)

Word Origin for fluff

C18: perhaps from flue ²

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

fluff

Origin of fluff

OTHER WORDS FROM fluff

Words related to fluff

How to use fluff in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fluff

Word Origin for fluff