naff
Americanadjective
verb (used without object)
verb phrase
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of naff
First recorded in 1955–60, for an earlier sense; perhaps via Polari from Italian, for the adjective; perhaps a corruption of either eff ( def. ) or fanny ( def. ), for the verb
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.
It was called "the worst programme ever made", "toe-curlingly naff", and criticised for alleged misogyny and shallow characters.
From BBC • Aug. 29, 2023
They were overlooked for a time after splitting up in the early 1980s, and their image was often branded as naff.
From BBC • Sep. 3, 2021
And certainly, VF has a good track record with its outdoor/workwear brands, which have gone from naff to cool.
From New York Times • Nov. 10, 2020
Three decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the site of its most famous crossing has become an embarrassment of fast-food outlets and naff souvenir shops, which fail to honour its charged history.
From The Guardian • Nov. 13, 2019
“No. Nothing like that. There’s food on board. It’s mostly pretty naff — soy protein bars and freeze-dried noodles and whatnot. But its a change from coconut and fish for you.”
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
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.
