stuff

1 of 2

noun

ˈstəf 

1

: materials, supplies, or equipment used in various activities: such as

a

obsolete : military baggage

b

: personal property

2

: material to be manufactured, wrought, or used in construction

clear half-inch pine stuff

—Emily Holt

3

: 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

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

9

: dunk shot

stuffless adjective

stuff

2 of 2

verb

stuffed; stuffing; stuffs

transitive verb

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

6

: to stop (a ballcarrier) abruptly in a football game

stuffed the runner just short of a first down

Synonyms

Noun

• capability
• credentials
• goods
• qualification

Verb

• block
• bung
• dam
• fill
• pack
• plug
• stop

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 Web

Noun

All of the young brothers that call Louis Armstrong a ‘Tom’ and all that stuff. —August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024

So, that stuff is naturally going to come down, especially against a Rockets defense that takes away spot-up opportunities. —Matt Modi, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024

Verb

The zucchini is a personal favorite, but a must-order is a side of their pane bianco stuffed with mortadella. —Roger Sands, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Martha Stewart thought snow peas individually stuffed with cream cheese made an elegant dinner party side. —Constance Grady, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English stuff, stuffe "military supplies, provisions, household goods, building material, fabric, filling of a pastry," borrowed from Anglo-French estuffe "provision, stock," noun derivative of estuffer, estoffer "to furnish (with supplies, arms), fill" — more at stuff entry 2

Verb

Middle English stuffen, stoffen "to furnish, equip (with arms, provisions), fill, cram full," borrowed from Anglo-French estuffer, estoffer (also continental Old French), probably borrowed from Old High German stophōn "put (something into something), cram full," going back to West Germanic *stoppōjan-, whence also Old English -stoppian, in forstoppian "to stop up, close completely" — more at stop entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing stuff

• and stuff
• be made of sterner/tougher stuff
• do one's stuff
• hot stuff
• kid stuff
• know one's stuff
• rough stuff
• show one's stuff
• small stuff
• strut one's stuff
• stuff it
• stuff oneself
• stuff one's face
• stuff the ballot box
• sweat the small stuff
• the hard stuff
• the right stuff
• the stuff of greatness
• the stuff of legend
• the stuff of legends

Kids Definition

stuff

1 of 2 noun

ˈstəf 

1

: 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 verb

1

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

ˈstəf 

: to choke or block up (as nasal passages)

a stuffed up nose