tufted

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparable

   Growing in, or decorated with, small bunches of hair, feathers, grass or thread joined at one end.

   Grammar: Used before a noun (a tufted duck) or after a linking verb (the grass is tufted); rarely compared.

   Patterns

   • tufted with something
   • a tufted something

   The tufted titmouse has a small crest on its head.

   Wind blew across the tufted grass of the dunes.

   A tufted sofa with rows of buttons filled the room.

2. 2adjectivebefore a nountechnical

   Made with extra threads pulled through a backing and cut or looped to form a raised surface.

   Grammar: Used before a noun in manufacturing terms: a tufted carpet.

   Patterns

   • a tufted carpet

   Most modern carpets are tufted rather than woven.

   The tufted rug was thick enough to hide the cold floor.

Common combinations

tufted duck

A tufted duck dived near the reeds.

tufted ears

The lynx is known for its tufted ears.

tufted carpet

They fitted a plain tufted carpet in the hall.

tufted sofa

The tufted sofa had deep buttons along the back.

tufted grass

Sheep grazed among the tufted grass on the hillside.

Synonyms and how they differ

crested

Crested describes a standing ridge or comb of feathers on a bird, but tufted refers to small clumps in any place.

clumped

Clumped suggests a loose, lumpy mass and sounds less neat than tufted.

fluffy

Fluffy means light and soft overall, whereas tufted points to separate bunches.

padded

Padded refers to soft stuffing under a surface, which a tufted piece may have, but tufted is about the stitched or bunched surface.

Opposites

Word family

tuft noun

a small bunch of hair, grass or feathers growing together

tuft verb

to form or decorate with bunches

tufting noun

the process of making a carpet or upholstery with tufts

tufty adjective

full of tufts

Commonly confused: tufted or touted?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “tufted”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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