Phrase guide

stuffed shirt

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

One who is pompous or self-important, especially one who is either officious or punctilious in a position of authority.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a bore who is extremely formal, pompous, and old-fashioned

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: bore, dullard

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: tärkeilijä — one who is overly-officious
  • Finnish: mahtailija — one who is overly-officious
  • German: Wichtigtuer — one who is overly-officious
  • German: Wichtigmacher — one who is overly-officious
  • Italian: pallone gonfiato — one who is overly-officious
  • Polish: formalista — one who is overly-officious
  • Polish: formalistka — one who is overly-officious
  • Polish: sztywniak — one who is overly-officious
  • Polish: sztywniaczka — one who is overly-officious
  • Russian: напыщенное ничто́жество (napyščennoje ničtóžestvo) — one who is overly-officious
  • Spanish: persona estirada — one who is overly-officious