scuff

American  

[skuhf] / skʌf /

verb (used with object)

• scuffs,
  present (3rd person singular)
• scuffed,
  past participle,  past
• scuffing
  present participle

1. to scrape (something) with one's foot or feet.

2. to rub or scrape (one's foot or feet) over something.

3. to mar by scraping or hard use, as shoes or furniture.

4. Chiefly Scot.

   1. to brush against, as in passing.

   2. to brush off; wipe off.

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verb (used without object)

• scuffs,
  present (3rd person singular)
• scuffed,
  past participle,  past
• scuffing
  present participle

1. to walk without raising the feet from the ground; shuffle.

2. to scrape or rub one's foot back and forth over something.

3. to be or become marred or scratched by scraping or wear.

4. (of machine parts, as gear teeth) to creep from pressure and friction so that ridges appear transversely to the direction of wear.

noun

• scuffs
  plural

1. the act or sound of scuffing.

2. a flat-heeled slipper with a full-length sole and an upper part covering only the front of the foot.

3. a marred or scratched place on an item, as from scraping or wear.

scuff British  

/ skʌf /

verb

1. to scrape or drag (the feet) while walking

2. to rub or scratch (a surface) or (of a surface) to become rubbed or scratched

3. (tr) to poke at (something) with the foot

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noun

1. the act or sound of scuffing

2. a rubbed place caused by scuffing

3. a backless slipper

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• scuffs
  plural

Participles

• scuffing
  present
• scuffed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• scuff
  simple
• scuffs
  simple
• have scuffed
  perfect
• has scuffed
  perfect
• am scuffing
  progressive
• are scuffing
  progressive
• is scuffing
  progressive
• have been scuffing
  perfect progressive
• has been scuffing
  perfect progressive

Past

• scuffed
  simple
• had scuffed
  perfect
• was scuffing
  progressive
• were scuffing
  progressive
• had been scuffing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will scuff
  simple
• will have scuffed
  perfect
• will be scuffing
  progressive
• will have been scuffing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of scuff

First recorded in 1585–95, scuff is from the Middle Low German word schūven to shove

Explanation

When you scuff something, you scrape it in a way that leaves a mark. You might walk very carefully down the street in your new red cowboy boots, being careful not to scuff the toes. You can scuff a floor by moving heavy furniture, or scuff your new leather backpack by dragging it on the sidewalk. It's easy to scuff new shoes or to scuff your dad's car interior when you try to cram your bike into its hatchback. Scuff also means to drag your feet, the way a reluctant child might do on her way into the dentist's office. The word scuff is Scottish, possibly from a Scandinavian root.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

scuff scuffs scuffed scuffing

Deschamps knew that on the off-chance France was awarded a penalty kick, then Paraguayan players would immediately try to scuff up the spot, making it harder to take a clean shot.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

Beyond a couple of scuff marks and some debris jammed into the treads, our sojourn had left the shoes looking much as they had when I’d first taken them off the shelf.

From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026

To that end, these cargos are as intentional and well-lived as a perfectly executed skate trick: they’re hand-dyed, but also arrive bearing natural bleach, oil and scuff marks.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026

Now in enemy waters, they hoisted the Japanese flag, though as it looked too new to be credible, so they had to soak it in diesel and scuff it around the deck.

From BBC ● Jan. 13, 2024

The only sound was the scuff of their boots on the worn bricks beneath their feet.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

If you have ever used a "magic eraser" sponge to scrub away scuffs on white shoes or crayon marks on a wall, you have seen how powerful these cleaners can be.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 18, 2026

Many of these treasures come as-is, so a few scuffs and dings are perfectly fine.

From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2025

He jokingly shows the wheelchair scuffs on the skirting boards around his home, with physiotherapy currently taking up much of his day.

From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2025

From scuffs to scrapes to gaping holes, drywall damage happens.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 21, 2023

The kids would get scuffs and big bruises from falling on it, and the glasses and plates had to be replaced with plastic ones because once you dropped them they smashed.

From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride

Ms. Orton’s vocals underwent a transformation sometime after her 2016 album, “Kidsticks,” becoming scuffed and battered in a way that ended up working to her advantage.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

Only three families have owned the unpretentious diner with its black bar stools, scuffed tile floors and enough nostalgia to fill Shasta Lake.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2026

Kiel had a late chance to level things up when Aldin Jakupovic broke free with just Stuttgart goalkeeper Alex Nuebel to beat, but scuffed his shot wide.

From Barron's ● Feb. 4, 2026

The MetroCard, a scuffed yellow rectangle that lived in wallets, coat pockets and the bottoms of tote bags for more than three decades, is officially reaching the end of the line.

From Salon ● Dec. 28, 2025

He lay face downward at the base of a tree, his fingernails digging into the scuffed earth.

From "Go Tell It on the Mountain" by James Baldwin

Pile on enough and you flirt with the risk of scuffing the roof of your mouth, which feels, to me, like an essential part of the experience.

From Salon ● Dec. 16, 2025

Even his recent movies have seemed a little embarrassed by the guy, scuffing him up with cynicism.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2025

Toney also provided the second-half cross Keane Lewis-Potter failed to covert from close range and also, through his strength and awareness, triggered an attack that ended with the former Hull man scuffing a shot wide.

From BBC ● Jan. 20, 2024

He pointed to the number of baseballs that are rubbed up and approved to start the game and the number that get fouled off, thrown into the crowd or removed due to scuffing.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 18, 2022

Then came a sort of scuffing, thumping noise—it sounded like Jackson kicking something out of the way with his boot—and the boys were led inside.

From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart