1
: materials, supplies, or equipment used in various activities: such as
a
obsolete
: military baggage
2
: material to be manufactured, wrought, or used in construction
clear half-inch pine stuff—
Emily Holt
Emily Holt3
: a finished textile suitable for clothing
especially
: wool or worsted material
4
a
: literary or artistic production
b
: writing, discourse, talk, or ideas of little value : trash
5
a
: an unspecified material substance or aggregate of matter
volcanic rock is curious stuff
b
: something (as a drug or food) consumed or introduced into the body by humans
c
: a matter to be considered
the truth was heady stuff
long-term policy stuff
d
: a group or scattering of miscellaneous objects or articles
pick that stuff up off the floor
also
: nonphysical unspecified material
conservation and … all kinds of good stuff —Eric Korn
Eric Korn 6
a
: fundamental material : substance
the stuff of greatness
b
: subject matter
a teacher who knows her stuff
7
: special knowledge or capability
showing their stuff
8
a
: spin imparted to a thrown or hit ball to make it curve or change course
b
: the movement of a baseball pitch out of its apparent line of flight : the liveliness of a pitch
greatest pitcher of my time … had tremendous stuff—Ted Williams
Ted Williams9
stuffless
adjective
stuffed; stuffing; stuffs
1
a
: to fill by packing things in : cram
the boy stuffed his pockets with candy
b
: to fill to satiety : surfeit
stuffed themselves with turkey
c
: to prepare (meat or vegetables) by filling or lining with a stuffing
d
: to fill (something, such as a cushion) with a soft material
e
: to fill out the skin of (an animal) for mounting
2
a
: to fill by intellectual effort
stuffing their heads with facts
b
: to pack full of something immaterial
a book stuffed with information
3
: to fill or block up (something, such as nasal passages)
4
a
: to cause to enter or fill : thrust
stuffed a lot of clothing into a laundry bag
b
: to put (a ball, a puck, etc.) into a goal forcefully from close range
5
—used in the imperative to express contempt
if they didn't like it, stuff 'em—Eric Clapton
—often used in the phrases stuff it and get stuffed
Eric Clapton6
: to stop (a ballcarrier) abruptly in a football game
stuffed the runner just short of a first down
Synonyms
Examples of stuff in a Sentence
Noun
She got out the cooking stuff to bake some cookies.
computers, word processors, and stuff like that
I need a place to store my stuff.
Pick that stuff up off the floor.
Verb
The boy stuffed his pockets with candy.
She stuffed the laundry bag full.
Recent Examples on the WebGillian Telling, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
But the American historical psyche — the nasty, lurid stuff, the paranoia, the paradox, the farce, the terror, the truth.
—Wesley Morris, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Bring a medium-sized bag to carry your stuff Numerous attractions, from Jurassic World VelociCoaster to Men in Black Alien Attack, require guests to store loose articles in lockers provided for the duration of the ride.
—Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
The slow infusion of water with the coffee grounds pulls out all the great flavors of the roast and leaves behind the stuff that can make coffee taste bitter.
—Megan Boettcher, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2024
So please — send me your stuff: Anita.Chabria@latimes.com.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Damaged The Bottom Line Familiar stuff with a Scottish twist.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024
Sometimes stuff doesn't go our way, guys will score some runs against us.
—Bob Holt, arkansasonline.com, 31 Mar. 2024
Welcome to Installer No. 32, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world.
—David Pierce, The Verge, 31 Mar. 2024
Michael S. Schmidt, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024
Taylor and Travis could grab a 6 p.m. table, stuff themselves with sushi, then walk around the Americana holding hands and buying Auntie Anne’s pretzels.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 11 Apr. 2024
The chef bakes the rolls from scratch, stuffing them with beef Milanese, or house made pork chorizo, refried beans, and melted cheese.
—Regan Stephens, Peoplemag, 8 Apr. 2024
The defense also stuffed the run game with the exception of a few plays.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Later, Wiggins stuffed Doncic, but Draymond Green turned it over immediately after.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
Other symptoms may include: Fever or feeling feverish Cough
Sore throat
Runny or stuffed nose
Muscle or body aches
Headaches
Fatigue
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Will the defamation case against Kari Lake hurt her Senate campaign fundraising?
—Eshaan Sarup, The Arizona Republic, 2 Apr. 2024
Suburban Michigan is full of winding roads dotted with identical houses, strip malls stuffed with chain restaurants and big-box stores, and thoroughfares designed for cars, with pedestrian walkways as an afterthought.
—Julie Beck, The Atlantic, 2 Apr. 2024
Avery sent a purse stuffed with pieces of eight to make sure the governor got the point.
—Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Noun
All of that stuff with us walking through the desert, all of that was shot in Namibia.
—Gillian Telling, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024
But the American historical psyche — the nasty, lurid stuff, the paranoia, the paradox, the farce, the terror, the truth.
—Wesley Morris, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Bring a medium-sized bag to carry your stuff Numerous attractions, from Jurassic World VelociCoaster to Men in Black Alien Attack, require guests to store loose articles in lockers provided for the duration of the ride.
—Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024
The slow infusion of water with the coffee grounds pulls out all the great flavors of the roast and leaves behind the stuff that can make coffee taste bitter.
—Megan Boettcher, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Apr. 2024
So please — send me your stuff: Anita.Chabria@latimes.com.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Damaged The Bottom Line Familiar stuff with a Scottish twist.
—Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Apr. 2024
Sometimes stuff doesn't go our way, guys will score some runs against us.
—Bob Holt, arkansasonline.com, 31 Mar. 2024
Welcome to Installer No. 32, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world.
—David Pierce, The Verge, 31 Mar. 2024
Verb
This being a baseball story, the criminal complaint was stuffed with numbers:
19,000 bets.
—Michael S. Schmidt, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2024
Taylor and Travis could grab a 6 p.m. table, stuff themselves with sushi, then walk around the Americana holding hands and buying Auntie Anne’s pretzels.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 11 Apr. 2024
The chef bakes the rolls from scratch, stuffing them with beef Milanese, or house made pork chorizo, refried beans, and melted cheese.
—Regan Stephens, Peoplemag, 8 Apr. 2024
The defense also stuffed the run game with the exception of a few plays.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
Later, Wiggins stuffed Doncic, but Draymond Green turned it over immediately after.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2024
Other symptoms may include: Fever or feeling feverish Cough
Sore throat
Runny or stuffed nose
Muscle or body aches
Headaches
Fatigue
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Will the defamation case against Kari Lake hurt her Senate campaign fundraising?
—Eshaan Sarup, The Arizona Republic, 2 Apr. 2024
Suburban Michigan is full of winding roads dotted with identical houses, strip malls stuffed with chain restaurants and big-box stores, and thoroughfares designed for cars, with pedestrian walkways as an afterthought.
—Julie Beck, The Atlantic, 2 Apr. 2024
Avery sent a purse stuffed with pieces of eight to make sure the governor got the point.
—Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stuff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near stuff
Cite this Entry
“Stuff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stuff. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stuff
1 of 2 noun1
: supplies or equipment that people need or use
2
: writing, conversation, or ideas often of little or temporary worth
3
: something mentioned or understood but not named
sold tons of the stuff
4
a
: basic part of something : substance
the stuff of greatness
b
: body of knowledge
teachers who know their stuff
5
a
: actions or talk of a particular kind
how do they get away with such stuff
b
: special knowledge or ability
a person who has the right stuff will do well here
stuff
2 of 2 verb1
a
: to fill by or as if by packing things in
was stuffing her pockets with candy
b
: to eat too much
don't stuff yourself with pizza
c
: to fill with a stuffing
stuffed the pillow
2
: to fill with ideas or information
stuffed their heads with facts
3
: to fill or block up
a sore throat and stuffed nose
4
: to put or push into something especially carelessly or with little concern
stuffed the clothes into the drawer
stuffer
noun
Medical Definition
stuff
transitive verb
: to choke or block up (as nasal passages)
a stuffed up nose
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