fluff

1 of 2

noun

1
2
: something fluffy
dandelion fluff
3
: something inconsequential
4
: blunder
especially : an actor's lapse of memory

fluff

2 of 2

verb

fluffed; fluffing; fluffs

transitive verb

1
: to make fluffy
fluff the pillows
birds fluffing up their feathers
2
a
: to spoil by a mistake : botch
b
: to deliver badly or forget (one's lines) in a play

intransitive verb

1
: to become fluffy
2
: to make a mistake
especially : to forget or bungle one's lines in a play

Examples of fluff in a Sentence

Noun Her sweater was covered with fluff. The movie was pure fluff. Her latest article has the usual fluff about movie stars and gossip. Verb The wind fluffed his hair. The golfer fluffed another shot. The actor kept fluffing the same line.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The snow was flying Monday in the nation's capital, creating traffic headaches but also gorgeous wintry scenes of the monuments coated in a white layer of fluff. Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025 This year, an enormous king penguin chick named Pesto — a 50-pound tower of downy brown fluff at the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, in Australia — became a textbook case. Emily Anthes, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2024
Verb
Running the dishwasher, clearing surfaces, fluffing the couch, and taking out the trash might seem like a long list of tasks at the end of an even longer day. Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Jan. 2025 Smooth out any wrinkles on the bedspread, fluff the pillows, and clear off the nightstands of any items that may have accumulated the night before. Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fluff 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

perhaps blend of flue (fluff) and puff

First Known Use

Noun

1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1835, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fluff was in 1790

Dictionary Entries Near fluff

Cite this Entry

“Fluff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fluff. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

fluff

1 of 2 noun
1
2
: something fluffy

fluff

2 of 2 verb
: to make or become fluffy

More from Merriam-Webster on fluff

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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