1
as in close
lacking fresh air
the house was very stuffy after being closed up for a month
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in boring
causing weariness, restlessness, or lack of interest
nothing stuffy about this science museum—it's all interactive and fun
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in irritable
easily irritated or annoyed
those nursing home residents with a reputation for being chronically stuffy were usually the last to receive attention
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stuffy
Doing so bred hope for more days like Monday, when an overflow crowd stood inside a stuffy press conference room to witness, perhaps, the beginning of Crane’s vision.
—
Chandler Rome, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
The verdict This easy-going spot makes for a welcome change from stuffy hotels.
—Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 5 Jan. 2026
Despite its often staid and stuffy reputation, the subject of wine is truly intriguing and dynamic, especially for those of us whose job is not just tasting wine but also taking regular deep dives into the story behind the story.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 4 Jan. 2026
The Relaxed Khaki Khaki trousers are preppy, but not stuffy, in a wide, pleated silhouette.
—Christina Holevas, Vogue, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stuffy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stuffy
Adjective
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Traffic concerns remained a prominent theme of the more than 100 emails the city received in early December, but many people expressed excitement at the prospect of a closer Costco.—
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The Clippers raced to a 14-5 lead, but the Knicks answered with eight straight points and the game was close for the first three quarters.—
Adjective
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Yes, the rich women went to Sedona on Sutton’s private plane, but before that there were a few scenes back in boring old Los Angeles.—
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Disease prevention should be boring, routine, expected, and easy to access.—
Adjective
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Some of the consequences of owing your body sleep are readily apparent, like feeling drowsy, irritable, or brain-foggy, or catching seemingly every virus.—
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Accompanying Rayner through these daily adventures were the irritable duck Chelveston (named after his English bomber base) and the gentle dog puppet Cuddly Dudley.—
Adjective
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When Jensen was tiring of running her own business, her little brother did her the same favor of helping her land a job with the cannabis dispensary From The Earth at their Brookside location, where she was quickly hired and loved by her coworkers.—
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Although Richardson has only appeared in 25 of the 36 contests so far in his rookie campaign, the near first-half of his first year as a professional has been tiring for the 20-year-old who’s continued to adjust to his new life in Orlando.—
Adjective
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Maduro’s predecessor, the fiery Hugo Chávez, elected in 1998, expanded social services, including housing and education, thanks to the country’s oil bonanza, which generated revenues estimated at some $981 billion between 1999 and 2011 as crude prices soared.—
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White cast-iron chairs are perfectly positioned on a terrace to catch Stromboli’s volcanic smoke-show, and occasional fiery belch, in the distance over a lazy cocktail.—
Adjective
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Despite his team not needing to throw the football much thanks to a suffocating defensive performance (Trevor Lawrence attempted just 22 passes in Jacksonville's 35-6 win over the Chargers), Meyers still received six targets and produced five catches for 64 yards.—
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The Vikings never seemed to know what was coming next during the Chargers’ comprehensive 37-10 victory, unable to contend with Herbert and the offense or solve a suffocating defense that sacked Minnesota quarterback Carson Wentz five times and limited him to only 144 yards passing.—
Adjective
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These chambers mimic Mars’ low-pressure atmosphere, dry conditions, and dusty surface.—
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Don’t sit at home getting dusty.—
Adjective
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Despite breathless headlines warning of a robot takeover in the workforce, a new research briefing from Oxford Economics casts doubt on the narrative that artificial intelligence is currently causing mass unemployment.—
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Their work was defined by stressfully cascading plots, breathless energy and ingenious street-level filmmaking, both in the casting (led by Safdie’s longtime colleague Jennifer Venditti) and actual shooting locations.—
Cite this Entry
“Stuffy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stuffy. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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