stuffy
/ˈstʌfi/adjective, noun
stuffy is spelled S-T-U-F-F-Y: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,820th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, stuffy means “Poorly ventilated; partially plugged” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in stuffy?
| Letters | 6: S-T-U-F-F-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.1 times per million words; the 27,820th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is stuffy?
Stuffy appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,820th 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 stuffy?
- /ˈstʌfi/
Stuffy has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-stuffy.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of stuffy
- stuffier comparative
- stuffiest superlative
- stuffies plural
- stuffie
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does stuffy mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Poorly ventilated; partially plugged.
I can’t smell very well today – I have a stuffy nose.
- 2
Uncomfortably warm without sufficient air circulation.
- 3
Stout; mettlesome; resolute.
- 4
USAngry and obstinate; sulky.
- 5
Boring, old-fashioned, uninteresting, over-formal, pompous, very conventional.
The stuffy professor droned on as the class lost interest.
- 6
ScotlandStout; sturdy.
noun
- 1
CanadaUScolloquialSynonym of stuffed toy.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Stuffy in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | mal aéré, étouffant, bouché , fâché, en rogne |
| German | stickig, verstopfte |
| Portuguese | entupido, estufado |
| Spanish | mal ventilado, congestionado, taponado, viciado, sofocante , brioso |
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 stuffy come from?
From stuff + -y.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).