Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense fluffs, present participle fluffing, past tense, past participle fluffed
1. uncountable noun [oft n ofN]
Fluff consists of soft threads or fibres in the form of small, light balls or lumps. For example, you can refer to the fur of a small animal as fluff.
...the nestbox which contained two chicks: just small grey balls of fluff.
She noticed some bits of fluff on the sleeve of her sweater.
Synonyms: fuzz, down, pile, dust More Synonyms of fluff
2. verb
If you fluff something that you are trying to do, you are unsuccessful or you do it badly.
[informal]
She fluffed her interview at Oxford. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: mess up, spoil, bungle, screw up [informal, informal] More Synonyms of fluff
3. verb
If you fluff things such as cushions or feathers, you get a lot of air into them, for example by shaking or brushing them, in order to make them seem larger and lighter.
She stood up and fluffed her hair, wiggling her fingers through it and then throwingit back. [VERB noun]
Fluff up means the same as fluff.
Take the pan off the heat and cover for 5 minutes to fluff up the rice. [VERBPARTICLE noun (not pronoun)]
[Also VERB noun PARTICLE]
fluff in British English
(flʌf)
noun
1.
soft light particles, such as the down or nap of cotton or wool
2.
any light downy substance
3.
an object, matter, etc, of little importance; trifle
4. informal
a mistake, esp in speaking or reading lines or performing music
5. informal, offensive
a young woman (esp in the phrase a bit of fluff)
verb
6.
to make or become soft and puffy by shaking or patting; puff up
7. informal
to make a mistake in performing (an action, dramatic speech, music, etc)
Word origin
C18: perhaps from flue2
fluff in American English
(flʌf)
noun
1.
soft, light down
2.
a loose, soft, downy mass of hair, feathers, cotton, dust, etc.
3.
any light or trivial matter or talk
4. Theatre and Radio and Television
an error in speaking or reading a line
verb transitive
5.
to shake or pat until loose, feathery, and fluffy
6. Theatre and Radio and Television
to make an error in speaking or reading (a word, one's lines, etc.)
7.
to make a botch of; flub
verb intransitive
8.
to become fluffy
9.
to make a mistake
Idioms:
bit of fluff
Word origin
? blend of flue3 + puff
Examples of 'fluff' in a sentence
fluff
He fluffed his lines when handed the best chance of the game in the final minutes.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
I used to play the trumpet and totally fluffed the first line.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Thankfully, nobody fluffed their lines.
The Sun (2016)
He fluffed a hat-trick of chances inside 19 minutes.
The Sun (2016)
Remove the pan from the heat and use a fork to fluff the rice.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Today he fluffed the first three fences.
The Sun (2013)
Your average bit of pop fluff this is not.
The Sun (2012)
We hear so much fluff and stuff.
Christianity Today (2000)
Perhaps you fluffed your lines or found your mind going blank?
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Pour this over the hot rice and fluff it up with a fork.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
He could have scored at least three times but fluffed his lines.
The Sun (2014)
Only so much fluff and fold domesticity anyone can do.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
But the supporting cast fluffed their lines.
The Sun (2012)
The immune system of an allergic person sees the harmless dog hair or rabbit fluff as a dangerous invader.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
They look like obese pears and are covered with a grey fluff that suggests that they grow inside vacuum cleaners.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
He missed his opening target but recovered well and fluffed only two more on his way to a memorable win.
The Sun (2010)
Turn the heat off, fluff with a fork and leave until cooled.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
These footballs of grey fluff have about a dozen weeks to become long-distance flying machines.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and leave uncovered.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Remove the pan from the heat, uncover and fluff up the rice with a fork.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The Welshman fluffed his lines with five minutes to go when he was clean through.
The Sun (2012)
A drop under penalty and a fluffed pitch completed the damage.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Switch off the heat, fluff up the rice with a fork and then season to taste with some sea salt.
The Sun (2016)
He fluffed two sitters in the early exchanges, and that is where it helps having Williams.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The series may be one apiece, but the suspicion is that India have fluffed their chance of winning.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
My mum would find me under the table talking to two bits of fluff - I had a vivid imagination.
The Sun (2015)
In other languages
fluff
British English: fluff NOUN
Fluff consists of soft threads or fibres in the form of small, light balls or lumps.
... peculiar gadgets for picking up fluff from carpets.
American English: fluff
Brazilian Portuguese: felpa
Chinese: 绒毛
European Spanish: pelusa
French: peluche
German: Fusseln
Italian: lanugine
Japanese: ふわふわしたもの
Korean: 보푸라기
European Portuguese: felpa
Latin American Spanish: pelusa
British English: fluff VERB
If you fluff something that you are trying to do, you are unsuccessful or you do it badly.