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Definitions

stuffy

[stuhf-ee] / ˈstʌf i /
ADJECTIVE
close, oppressive
Synonyms
STRONGEST
airless humid stale stifling
WEAK
breathless confined fetid heavy muggy stagnant suffocating sultry thick unventilated
Antonyms
WEAK
airy breezy current informal modern new open ventilated
ADJECTIVE
old-fashioned, prim
Synonyms
STRONGEST
arrogant dreary genteel humorless musty pompous self-important staid stodgy
WEAK
Victorian bloated conventional dull fusty important magisterial narrow-minded priggish prim and proper prissy prudish puffy puritanical stilted strait-laced uninteresting
Antonyms
STRONGEST
adventurous clear willing
WEAK
airy breezy current informal modern new open ventilated

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Call it a rolling away of the stone from stuffy religiosity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

Let's be honest, Spurs are not an attractive team to watch at the moment, and they are very stuffy and scrappy whether they win or not.

From BBC • Dec. 29, 2025

“This doesn’t have to be a stuffy, fourth-wall drama,” says Michael Fell, the show’s creative director.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025

They played in stuffy venues in front of moshing teens—singers often passing the mic around for fans to join in.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 7, 2025

Petrol, raw fish, and stale sweat dominated a battle of odors for the stuffy space.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.