stuffy

UK: /ˈstʌfi/ US: /ˈstʌfi/ ,(stuf′ē)

Inflections of 'stuffy' (adj):

stuffier

adj comparative

stuffiest

adj superlative

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

stuff•y /ˈstʌfi/   adj., -i•er, -i•est. 

1. uncomfortable because of a lack of fresh air:
   stuffy air; a stuffy room.
2. blocked or stopped up:
   He had a stuffy nose.
3. dull or boring.
4. self-important.
5. rigid or old-fashioned in attitudes, esp. in matters of personal behavior.

stuff•i•ness, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

stuff•y  (stuf′ē), adj., stuff•i•er, stuff•i•est. 

1. close;
   poorly ventilated:
   a stuffy room.
2. oppressive from lack of freshness:
   stuffy air; a stuffy odor.
3. lacking in interest, as writing or discourse.
4. affected with a sensation of obstruction in the respiratory passages:
   a stuffy nose.
5. dull or tedious;
   boring.
6. self-important;
   pompous.
7. rigid or strait-laced in attitudes, esp. in matters of personal behavior.
8. old-fashioned;
   conservative.
9. ill-tempered;
   sulky.

• stuff + -y¹ 1545–55

stuff′i•ly, adv. 
stuff′i•ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 3, 5.
• 8. stodgy.
• 6. smug.
• 7. priggish.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

stuffy / ˈstʌfɪ/ adjective (stuffier, stuffiest)

1. lacking fresh air
2. excessively dull, staid, or conventional
3. (of the nasal passages) blocked with mucus

ˈstuffily adverb

ˈstuffiness noun