stuffiness
/ˈstʌfinəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈstʌfinəs/ (ame, ipa) · /-fēnə̇s How to pronounce stuffiness (audio) -fin-/ (ame, mw)
stuffiness — noun
1. a blocked feeling in the nose that makes breathing difficult, especially during
a blocked feeling in the nose that makes breathing difficult, especially during a cold or an allergy flare-up.
The spray gave Gita relief from the stuffiness that kept her awake.
collocation: relief from stuffiness
After the flight, Yuki noticed stuffiness on one side of her nose.
Hoa sat in the clinic, sniffling through the morning stuffiness.
Steam helped Christopher ease the stuffiness before he tried to sleep.
- congestion
the most common general word in health contexts
- blockage
more physical and direct, often used in explanations
- obstruction
more formal and common in medical writing
文法句型
relief from stuffiness
ease the stuffiness
nasal stuffiness
用法筆記
Common in health advice, medicine labels, and clinic talk. In everyday conversation, many speakers more often say 'stuffy nose'; this noun focuses on the condition itself.
2. an uncomfortable feeling in a room when the air is warm, used, and not moving en
an uncomfortable feeling in a room when the air is warm, used, and not moving enough.
By mid-afternoon, the office stuffiness felt worse than the heat outside.
pattern: place + stuffiness
Adina opened two windows, but the bedroom stuffiness still lingered.
Guests escaped to the balcony to get away from the stuffiness downstairs.
The train's stuffiness made Kofi step off at the next station.
- closeness
older, especially British, for heavy air in a shut room
- airlessness
stresses the lack of fresh moving air
- stale air
focuses on air that feels breathed-in or old
- freshness
suggests cool, clean air that feels pleasant
- ventilation
focuses on air movement that removes the problem
文法句型
the stuffiness in [room/train/office]
escape the stuffiness
[place] stuffiness
用法筆記
Mostly used for closed indoor places such as bedrooms, buses, trains, and offices. Distinguish from noun/1, which is about a blocked nose, and noun/3, which is about a stiff social atmosphere.
3. the quality of seeming too serious, old-fashioned, and hard to enjoy because eve
the quality of seeming too serious, old-fashioned, and hard to enjoy because everything feels overly formal.
Some younger members quit because the club's stuffiness made each dinner feel ceremonial.
pattern: the stuffiness of a club or event
Felix laughed once, but the room's stuffiness quickly silenced him.
Layla wanted warm service, not the stuffiness of a luxury hotel lobby.
The new head teacher worked hard to remove the stuffiness from assemblies.
- warmth
suggests friendliness and ease instead of social distance
- informality
focuses on the lack of stiff social rules
文法句型
the stuffiness of [club/event/style]
remove the stuffiness from [place/institution]
a sense of stuffiness
用法筆記
Usually used for clubs, ceremonies, schools, or social styles that feel too formal to relax in. Distinguish from noun/2, which is about stale indoor air rather than behavior or atmosphere.