Slang dictionary duff or DUFF [duhf] October 23, 2018 What does duff mean? Standing for designated ugly fat friend, duff is a rude, though often humorous term people use for that one friend who makes you look better. Related words hot mess, shitshow, plenty of fish, basic bitch, betches, ugly cry, SOML Where does duff come from? The Wing Girls / YouTube Entered on Urban Dictionary in 2003, duff is short for designated ugly fat friend. It’s a new term for an ancient practice—using a perceived less attractive person to make you look better. Humans. While duff is no doubt shallow and mean, it also apparently has some scientific basis. A 2016 University of London psychology study revealed that being around an ugly friend does, in fact, does make you look better. Scientists. Duff made its way into popular culture in the 2015 comedy film The DUFF, based on a 2011 novel of the same name written by Kody Keplinger when she was only 17. Set in a suburban Atlanta high school, The DUFF centers around Bianca, who tries to reinvent herself after discovering that her peers consider her the duff of her friend group. Examples of duff I hate being the DUFF in the group 🙄🤦🏼♀️ @party_boss21, October, 2018 I just realized I’m the DUFF on my friend group @Mikayla_Radecki, October, 2018 Whisper Wesley is the dashing high school football star who struggles in school and is just insensitive enough to tell Bianca what no one else will: she’s a DUFF. Josh Terry, The Desert News, February 2015 SEE MORE EXAMPLES Who uses duff? When found on social media, duff is usually used by people declaring or complaining that they are one, to varying degrees of sincerity and irony. We could all use a little love. So could actor Hillary Duff … coincidence. it’s sad being the DUFF out of ur pals — neve graham💜 (@graham2x) September 30, 2018 My friends are so pretty being the duff is so hard — Shannan S. (@shansantisouk) September 30, 2018 Pretty sure that I’m the duff of my friend group 😂 — 👑Addie P👑 (@addiedawnx) October 7, 2018 Duff, otherwise, is an occasional, slang term used more humorously for the general phenomenon of using one’s friends as props. Oh, the vanity. Oh yea, calling someone a duff is, no doubt, certainly a fast-track to losing that person as a friend. Just Added Older Americans Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, Jewish American Heritage Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, 🫡 Saluting Face emoji Note This is not meant to be a formal definition of duff like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of duff that will help our users expand their word mastery.