padding

American  

[pad-ing] / ˈpæd ɪŋ /

noun

1. material, as cotton or straw, used to pad something.

2. something added unnecessarily or dishonestly, as verbiage to a speech or a false charge on an expense account.

3. the act of a person or thing that pads.

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padding British  

/ ˈpædɪŋ /

noun

1. any soft material used to pad clothes, furniture, etc

2. superfluous material put into a speech or written work to pad it out; waffle

3. inflated or false entries in a financial account, esp an expense account

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Etymology

Origin of padding

First recorded in 1820–30; pad ¹ + -ing ¹

Explanation

A cushioning or protective material is padding. When you're moving into a new apartment, you might want to wrap your dishes in padding to keep them from being damaged. Padding has many different uses, from the padding in a padded mailing envelope to the padding in a sofa cushion that gives you a soft place to sit. There's also padding inside protective sports gear and built into yoga mats. Sometimes padding is simply used to make something seem bigger, and from this meaning comes the sense of padding meaning "unnecessary extra material," especially superfluous words in a speech or a book.

Example Sentences

A Shein spokesperson told the BBC that padding in children's swimwear can be a "legitimate design feature" but said action would be taken if listings did not meet its standards.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

Early’s performance is a truly remarkable highwire act, all the more so for the wig, padding and prosthetics he wears to play the character.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

Egyptian immigrants Azzam and Samra Ahmed are padding their savings by performing for bots in their one-bedroom apartment in Pasadena.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026

It requires padding, helmets, tape, playbooks, film and 22 players.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

Then I heard Grandma India padding across the room and felt the weight of her body shift the plane of the mattress as she sat down.

From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals