fluff

1 of 2

noun

ˈfləf How to pronounce fluff (audio)
Synonyms of fluffnext
1
: down entry 7 sense 1
2
: something fluffy
dandelion fluff
3
: something inconsequential
The article was pure fluff about celebrities.
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

Synonyms of fluff

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Noun

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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 entire hair team were also all big fans of fluff, wisps, and flyaways at this point in filming. — Katie Gunderman, Allure, 21 Oct. 2026 Someone from Hästens will come to your bedroom thrice a year to massage, fluff and flip those layers, thereby dispensing with whatever malformations your body may have inflicted upon its perfect design and making everything right in the world again. — Jaklin Romine oct. 15, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Verb
Once done, remove from the heat and use a fork to fluff the rice. — Candy Hom, AJC.com, 17 Oct. 2026 Rangel fluffed Reyna’s cross that led to Hall’s opening goal. — Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026 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 2

Verb

1875, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fluff was in 1790

Rhymes for fluff

See All Rhymes for fluff

Browse Nearby Words

fluework
fluff
fluffer
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fluff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fluff. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

fluff

1 of 2 noun
ˈfləf How to pronounce fluff (audio)
1
: nap entry 3, down
2
: something fluffy

fluff

2 of 2 verb
: to make or become fluffy
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