Nerf

American

[nurf] / nɜrf /

Trademark.

a brand name for various toys modeled especially on sports equipment but made of foam rubber or other soft substances.

verb (used with object)

(lowercase) (in a video game) to reconfigure (an existing character or weapon), making it less powerful.

The game development team nerfed several guns in the recent update.

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.

He was part of the Caltech Christian Fellowship and Nerf Club, according to his profile.

From Barron's • Apr. 26, 2026

The maker of Play-Doh and Nerf now expects revenue to grow in the high-single digits this year, compared with a prior outlook of mid-single digit growth.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

He had basketball hoops everywhere, including Nerf hoops in the doorways.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 24, 2025

She recalled a basement Nerf basketball game with Colin that got overheated.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 6, 2024

During the days, her dad sits in the backyard, throwing my old Nerf basketball into the plastic hoop.

From "Landscape with Invisible Hand" by M.T. Anderson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023