stuffy

American  

[stuhf-ee] / ˈstʌf i /

adjective

stuffier, stuffiest

1. close; poorly ventilated.

   a stuffy room.

2. oppressive from lack of freshness.

   stuffy air; a stuffy odor.

3. lacking in interest, as writing or discourse.

   Synonyms:

   stodgy

4. affected with a sensation of obstruction in the respiratory passages.

   a stuffy nose.

5. dull or tedious; boring.

   Synonyms:

   stodgy

6. self-important; pompous.

   Synonyms:

   smug

7. rigid or strait-laced in attitudes, especially in matters of personal behavior.

   Synonyms:

   priggish

8. old-fashioned; conservative.

   Synonyms:

   stodgy

9. ill-tempered; sulky.

---

stuffy British  

/ ˈstʌfɪ /

adjective

1. lacking fresh air

2. excessively dull, staid, or conventional

3. (of the nasal passages) blocked with mucus

---

Other Word Forms

• stuffily adverb
• stuffiness noun
• unstuffily adverb
• unstuffiness noun
• unstuffy adjective

Etymology

Origin of stuffy

First recorded in 1545–55; stuff + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Call it a rolling away of the stone from stuffy religiosity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

“This doesn’t have to be a stuffy, fourth-wall drama,” says Michael Fell, the show’s creative director.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025

They played in stuffy venues in front of moshing teens—singers often passing the mic around for fans to join in.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 7, 2025

Spending the next 10 years lamenting Madigan’s potential snub would be nothing more than reductive, implying that her work is only worthy if it’s awarded by stuffy voters who maintain little respect for horror, anyway.

From Salon • Oct. 23, 2025

Upstairs the apartment is hot and stuffy even with the windows open.

From "Finding Langston" by Lesa Cline-Ransome

Related Words

• arrogant
• dreary
• genteel
• humorless
• musty
• pompous
• self-important
• staid
• stodgy