stuffy

/ˈstʌfi/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈstʌfi/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈstə-fē/ (ame, mw)

stuffy — adjective

  • stuffypositive
  • stuffiercomparative
  • stuffiestsuperlative

1. too warm and hard to breathe in because the air is trapped inside.

1.形容詞B2
釋義

too warm and hard to breathe in because the air is trapped inside.

例句

By noon, the meeting room felt stuffy after hours with shut windows.

after linking verb: room felt stuffy

Maeve opened the classroom door when the air turned stuffy after lunch.

同義詞
  • airless

    a close synonym that stresses the lack of moving air

  • close

    an older or more literary word for air that feels hard to breathe

  • unventilated

    more technical and often used when discussing buildings

反義詞
  • airy

    describes a place with plenty of space and fresh air

  • fresh

    emphasizes clean, moving air rather than heat and discomfort

文法句型

stuffy + room/office/bus

[place] feels stuffy

[place] gets stuffy

用法筆記

Used mainly for rooms, buses, offices, and other enclosed places. Common after linking verbs such as 'feel' and 'get', and often contrasted with 'fresh' or 'airy'.

常見錯誤

❌The room was stuffy because it needed cleaning.
✅The room was stuffy because the windows stayed shut.
💡this sense is about air that cannot move, not about dirt.

2. so formal and old-fashioned that it feels dull and not relaxed.

2.形容詞C1
釋義

so formal and old-fashioned that it feels dull and not relaxed.

例句

The club seemed stuffy, so Yara chose the lively cafe next door.

describes a formal, boring atmosphere

Christopher hates stuffy dinners where everyone speaks in slow, careful sentences.

stuffy + social event

同義詞
  • formal

    can be neutral, while 'stuffy' is clearly negative

  • stiff

    suggests uncomfortable or unnatural behavior as well as formality

  • old-fashioned

    focuses more on style and habits than on social atmosphere

  • dull

    stresses boredom, but not necessarily excessive formality

反義詞
  • relaxed

    describes an easy atmosphere without social pressure

  • lively

    emphasizes energy and interest rather than stiffness

  • informal

    focuses on the lack of strict manners or ceremony

文法句型

stuffy + club/party/style

[person/place] seems stuffy

[speech/rule] sounds stuffy

用法筆記

Often describes people, events, clubs, or styles that feel too serious and not relaxed. Distinguish from adjective/1, which is about air, and adjective/3, which describes a blocked nose.

常見錯誤

❌My uncle is stuffy today because he has a cold.
✅My uncle is stuffy at formal dinners.' / 'My uncle has a stuffy nose today.
💡for people, this sense means overly formal or dull, not physically blocked up.

3. used for a nose that feels blocked and does not let air pass easily, often durin

3.形容詞B1
釋義

used for a nose that feels blocked and does not let air pass easily, often during a cold.

例句

Jin sounded sleepy because his nose was stuffy all night.

pattern: nose be stuffy

After the cold started, Adina woke up with a stuffy nose.

fixed phrase: stuffy nose

同義詞
  • blocked

    the most direct everyday description of a nose that air cannot pass through

  • congested

    more medical in tone and often used by doctors

  • stuffed-up

    very common in speech and especially used before 'nose'

反義詞
  • clear

    describes a nose that air can pass through normally

  • open

    stresses that the nasal passage is no longer blocked

文法句型

stuffy nose

[nose] feels stuffy

have a stuffy nose

用法筆記

Usually appears in the fixed phrase 'stuffy nose' or after verbs like 'feel' and 'sound'. Use it for nasal blockage, not for a room with bad air as in adjective/1.

常見錯誤

❌I am stuffy after sitting in the hot office.
✅The office is stuffy.' / 'I have a stuffy nose.
💡use this sense for nasal blockage, not for a warm room.