warm and fuzzy

[wawrm uhn fuhz-ee]

adjective

Informal,

1. having, expressing, or producing feelings of tenderness, love, or affection.

   Attending the birth and holding my newborn child made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

   She wasn't a very warm and fuzzy mother.

2. having, expressing, or producing a sense of being heartened, comforted, uplifted, or cheered, often in a nostalgic way.

   Gradually they learn not to mistrust each other, but that's as warm and fuzzy as the movie gets.

   Doesn't it make you all warm and fuzzy inside knowing that our banks posted record profits?

3. filled with or expressing feelings of altruism, benevolence, nobility, etc., often in a self-conscious or self-congratulatory way.

   The warm and fuzzy feeling that arises when helping others is what drives many to donate.

   Wearing the symbol lets you feel warm and fuzzy about having done something without having to do anything.

Word History and Origins

Origin of warm and fuzzy¹

First recorded in 1980–85

Example Sentences

While some banking associations argue that credit unions have gotten too big and should start paying taxes, credit unions have historically been the “warm and fuzzy relatives of banks,” as financial expert Erica Sandberg describes them.

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Others feel less warm and fuzzy about it.

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But last I checked, John Wooden’s pyramid didn’t include “make everyone feel warm and fuzzy.”

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“It feels warm and fuzzy to think that on your worst day, someone’s going to throw you over their shoulder and carry you out,” but that’s not what firefighters really do, Andrade said.

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“There’s a reason their turnover is so high. It’s not the image the company wants to project about being warm and fuzzy and caring and considering and sharing in the huge profits. None of that’s actually true.”

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