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
There were towering Great Danes, tiny, trembling Chihuahuas, and every shape of fluff in between. Savannah White, Glamour, 18 Feb. 2025 Oftentimes, these calls can be filled with fluff and self-congratulations — sometimes well-deserved, other times less so. Zev Fima, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2025
Verb
The instructions guided us to put in the dryer for 10 minutes after unpacking, and this makes all the difference in fluffing it up! Briana Feigon, Architectural Digest, 24 Feb. 2025 Barella then fluffs his shot, but the ball falls to Taremi, whose overhead kick is saved by Michele Di Gregorio before Denzel Dumfries misses a close-range header from the subsequent cross. Ahmed Walid, The Athletic, 17 Feb. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fluff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fluff. Accessed 3 Mar. 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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