chuff
/t͡ʃʌf/adjective, adverb, noun, verb
chuff is spelled C-H-U-F-F: 5 letters. It appears about once in every 19 million words in written English, the 133,440th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, chuff means “Surly; annoyed; displeased; disgruntled” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in chuff?
| Letters | 5: C-H-U-F-F |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 19 million words; the 133,440th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Sounds like | |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is chuff?
Chuff appears about once in every 19 million words in written English, the 133,440th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce chuff?
- US /t͡ʃʌf/
- Australia /t͡ʃɐf/
- /t͡ʃʊf/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-uk-chough.oga, En-au-chuff.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with chuff
Sounds like: chough (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with chuff?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as chuff from its last stressed vowel (/ʌf/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of chuff
- more chuff comparative
- most chuff superlative
- chuffs plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- chuffing participle, present
- chuffed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does chuff mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
UKSurly; annoyed; displeased; disgruntled.
- 2
UKstupid; churlish; loutish.
- 3
UKPleased, proud.
- 4
obsoleteSwollen with fat.
- 5
Chubby.
adverb
- 1
In a chuff manner.
noun
- 1
A coarse or stupid fellow.
- 2
Superfluous small talk that is free of conflict, offers no character development, description or insight, and does not advance the story or plot.
- 3
A noisy puffing sound.
- 4
A breathy noise produced by a tiger, similar in function to a cat's purr.
- 5
slangvulgarThe vagina.
- 6
slangvulgarThe anus.
The car behind was following too close – it was right up my chuff.
verb
- 1
To make noisy puffing sounds, as of a steam locomotive.
- 2
UKslangTo break wind.
- 3
Of a powder, propellant, or explosive charge: to become extinguished and reignited intermittently.
- 4
UKUsed as a replacement for obscenities, particularly fuck.
Oh chuff off! I'm so chuffing fed up with all of the spam posts on my timeline.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Chuff in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | glandu, mou du bulbe |
| German | ungehobelter Kerl, Flegel , schnaufen |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does chuff come from?
15th century, dialectal, from Middle English chuffe (“a rustic, boor”), in noun sense “stupid fellow”. Adjective sense “surly, displeased” from 1832.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).