Standard Lemma guide

stuffy

adj · noun · 10 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈstʌfi/
  • rhymes with -ʌfi
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S T AH1 F IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Poorly ventilated; partially plugged.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • I can’t smell very well today – I have a stuffy nose.
  • Let’s go outside – it’s getting stuffy in here.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fusty

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Uncomfortably warm without sufficient air circulation.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: oppressive

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Stout; mettlesome; resolute.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Angry and obstinate; sulky.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Boring, old-fashioned, uninteresting, over-formal, pompous, very conventional.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The stuffy professor droned on as the class lost interest.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adj

Meaning 6

Stout; sturdy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Scotland

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

Synonym of stuffed toy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada, US, childish, colloquial, often

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stuffed toy

Antonyms: none provided

8

adjective satellite

Meaning 8

excessively conventional and unimaginative and hence dull

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • why is the middle class so stodgy, so utterly without a sense of humor?
  • a stodgy dinner party

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stodgy

Antonyms: none provided

9

adjective satellite

Meaning 9

affected with a sensation of stoppage or obstruction

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a stuffy feeling in my chest

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

adjective satellite

Meaning 10

lacking fresh air

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a dusty airless attic
  • the dreadfully close atmosphere
  • hot and stuffy and the air was blue with smoke

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: airless, close, unaired

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English stuff Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English stuffy From stuff + -y.

Across languages

Translations

51 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: տոթ (totʻ) — poorly ventilated
  • Bashkir: тынсыу (tınsıw) — poorly ventilated
  • Bulgarian: заду'шен (zadu'šen) — poorly ventilated
  • Bulgarian: непроветрен (neprovetren) — poorly ventilated
  • Chinese Cantonese: 焗 (guk6) — poorly ventilated
  • Chinese Mandarin: 悶 /闷 (mèn, mēn) — poorly ventilated
  • Czech: zatuchlý — poorly ventilated
  • Czech: ucpaný — poorly ventilated
  • Dutch: muf — poorly ventilated
  • Dutch: bedompt — poorly ventilated
  • Dutch: benauwd — poorly ventilated
  • Finnish: tunkkainen — poorly ventilated
  • French: mal aéré — poorly ventilated
  • French: étouffant — poorly ventilated
  • French: bouché — poorly ventilated
  • German: stickig — poorly ventilated
  • German: verstopfte — poorly ventilated
  • Italian: chiuso — poorly ventilated
  • Korean: 답답하다 (dapdaphada) — poorly ventilated
  • Macedonian: за́душен (zádušen) — poorly ventilated
  • Macedonian: непро́ветрен (nepróvetren) — poorly ventilated
  • Macedonian: за́душлив (zádušliv) — poorly ventilated
  • Māori: haitutu — poorly ventilated
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kvam — poorly ventilated
  • Plautdietsch: enj — poorly ventilated
  • Polish: duszny — poorly ventilated
  • Polish: zatkany — poorly ventilated
  • Portuguese: entupido — poorly ventilated
  • Portuguese: estufado — poorly ventilated
  • Russian: ду́шный (dúšnyj) — poorly ventilated
  • Russian: спёртый (spjórtyj) — poorly ventilated
  • Russian: зало́женный (zalóžennyj) — poorly ventilated
  • Russian: заби́тый (zabítyj) — poorly ventilated
  • Spanish: mal ventilado — poorly ventilated
  • Spanish: congestionado — poorly ventilated
  • Spanish: taponado — poorly ventilated
  • Spanish: viciado — poorly ventilated
  • Spanish: sofocante — poorly ventilated
  • Walloon: stofant (same use "fé stofant") — poorly ventilated
  • Finnish: päättäväinen — stout; mettlesome; resolute
  • Macedonian: реши́телен (rešítelen) — stout; mettlesome; resolute
  • Polish: odważny — stout; mettlesome; resolute
  • Polish: zapalczywy — stout; mettlesome; resolute
  • Spanish: brioso — stout; mettlesome; resolute
  • Finnish: murjottava — angry and obstinate; sulky
  • French: fâché — angry and obstinate; sulky
  • French: en rogne — angry and obstinate; sulky
  • Macedonian: на́муртен (námurten) — angry and obstinate; sulky
  • Polish: nadąsany — angry and obstinate; sulky
  • Polish: naburmuszony — angry and obstinate; sulky
  • Polish: niezadowolony — angry and obstinate; sulky