Meaning & use
stuff
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Meanings
noununcountable
A general word for things, objects, materials or belongings when you do not need to name them exactly.
Grammar: Uncountable, so no plural: some stuff, not 'a stuff' or 'stuffs'.
Patterns
- some stuff
- stuff for something
Can you move your stuff off the table?
There's a lot of stuff in the garage that we never use.
I bought some stuff for the party.
verbtransitive
To push something into a space or container, usually tightly or roughly.
Grammar: Takes an object: she stuffed the clothes into the bag.
Patterns
- stuff something into something
- stuff something with something
He stuffed his hands into his pockets.
She stuffed the bag with newspaper to keep its shape.
The kids stuffed their mouths with popcorn.
verbtransitive
To fill food, a toy or furniture with a filling.
Grammar: Takes an object: stuff the turkey; usually passive for toys and food.
Patterns
- stuff something with something
We stuffed the peppers with rice and cheese.
The pillow was stuffed with feathers.
Grandma stuffed the chicken with herbs.
noununcountableinformal
The basic quality or material that someone or something is made of, often used about character.
Grammar: Used in set phrases: the stuff of legend.
Patterns
- the stuff of something
- know your stuff
She showed she had the right stuff to lead the team.
It was the stuff of legend in the village.
Word forms
| third person singular | stuffs |
|---|---|
| past tense | stuffed |
| past participle | stuffed |
| -ing form | stuffing |
Common combinations
- pack your stuff
- Pack your stuff; we leave in ten minutes.
- stuff like that
- I like jazz, folk, stuff like that.
- know your stuff
- The mechanic really knows his stuff.
- stuff into
- He stuffed everything into the suitcase.
- good stuff
- This soup is good stuff.
Synonyms and how they differ
- things
- Things is slightly more neutral, while stuff is a casual lump term that treats items as one mass.
- belongings
- Belongings refers to personal possessions, and sounds more formal than stuff.
- material
- Material suggests a specific substance or content, whereas stuff is deliberately vague.
- cram
- Cram, as a verb, means pushing in too much, while stuff can be done quickly without implying overcrowding.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: stuff or staff?
stuff vs staff
Staff means the people who work somewhere, while stuff means things or objects.
Practice
I need to clear all my ____ out of the closet before the new roommate arrives.
Choose one answer.
Stuff is an informal uncountable noun meaning belongings. Staff means employees, and 'stuffs' is not used as a plural in this sense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “stuff”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.