Meaning & use
plush toys
Last updated
Meanings
nounplural
Soft toys made of cloth and filled with soft material, often shaped like animals.
Grammar: Always plural in this form; for one item say 'a plush toy'.
Patterns
- a plush toy
- plush toys for children
- a collection of plush toys
She keeps a basket of plush toys in the corner of the playroom.
The store sells plush toys shaped like bears, rabbits, and elephants.
He won a giant plush toy at the fair.
noununcountable
A soft, furry fabric used to make such toys and other soft items.
Grammar: When talking about the material, it is uncountable: 'made of plush'.
Patterns
- made of plush
- plush fabric
The toy is covered in a soft plush that feels like velvet.
This jacket is lined with plush for extra warmth.
Word forms
| singular | plush toy |
|---|
Common combinations
- stuffed animal
- In American English, 'stuffed animal' is a common synonym for a plush toy.
- soft toy
- British speakers often say 'soft toy' instead of 'plush toy'.
- teddy bear
- A teddy bear is a specific kind of plush toy.
- collection of plush toys
- She has a large collection of plush toys from different countries.
Synonyms and how they differ
- stuffed animal
- Common in American English; it can refer to any soft toy filled with stuffing, not just plush ones.
- soft toy
- The usual British term; it is slightly more general than 'plush toy'.
- teddy bear
- A specific type of plush toy shaped like a bear.
Word family
- plush adjective
- Describing a soft, expensive-looking fabric or surface.
Commonly confused: plush toys or plush?
plush toys vs plush
As a noun, 'plush' is the fabric; as an adjective, it means soft and luxurious. 'Plush toys' uses the noun as a modifier.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'plush toys' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'A box of plush toys' is correct because 'plush toys' is plural and can follow 'a box of'. Option An is wrong because 'a' is singular and cannot go with the plural 'toys'. Option B has a plural subject with a singular verb. Option D means the toys are made of the toys, which is illogical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “plush toys”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.