muff
Americannoun
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a thick, tubular case for the hands, covered with fur or other material, used by women and girls for warmth and as a handbag.
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a bungled or clumsy action or performance.
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Sports. a failure to hold onto a ball that may reasonably be expected to be caught successfully.
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a tuft of feathers on the sides of the head of certain fowls.
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Slang: Vulgar. a woman's pubic area.
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muff glass
verb (used with object)
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Informal. to bungle; handle clumsily.
He muffed a good opportunity.
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Sports. to fail to hold onto (a ball that may reasonably be expected to be caught successfully); fumble.
verb (used without object)
verb
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to perform (an action) awkwardly
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(tr) to bungle (a shot, catch, etc) in a game
noun
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any unskilful play in a game, esp a dropped catch
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any clumsy or bungled action
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a bungler
noun
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an open-ended cylinder of fur or cloth into which the hands are placed for warmth
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the tuft on either side of the head of certain fowls
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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muffsimple
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muffssimple
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have muffedperfect
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has muffedperfect
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am muffingprogressive
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are muffingprogressive
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is muffingprogressive
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have been muffingperfect progressive
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has been muffingperfect progressive
Past
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muffedsimple
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had muffedperfect
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was muffingprogressive
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were muffingprogressive
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had been muffingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of muff
1590–1600; < Dutch mof, earlier moffel, muffel mitten, muff < Old North French moufle < early Medieval Latin muffula, perhaps < Frankish
Vocabulary lists containing muff
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.
Meanwhile, the strength of a brand like “60 Minutes” is its ability to plow through heavy seas emanating from corporate politics—that is, unless overly entitled employees muff it up.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
In 1914, the suffragist Mary Richardson walked into the National Gallery with a hatchet concealed in her muff, then slashed a Velázquez nude in protest against the imprisonment of Emmeline Pankhurst.
From New York Times • Jul. 6, 2022
But the Giants committed a delay-of-game penalty and then punted, resulting in Johnson’s muff.
From Washington Post • Sep. 14, 2020
Titans’ lone turnover was a muff on a punt return by Adoree’ Jackson.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 10, 2019
I took up my muff and walked on.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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.
