stuff
[noun]
Synonyms:
- things, belongings, effects, equipment, gear, kit, objects, paraphernalia, possessions, tackle
- substance, essence, matter
- material, cloth, fabric, textile
[verb]
Synonyms:
- cram, crowd, fill, force, jam, pack, push, ram, shove, squeeze

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Related Idioms: fill to overflowing, fill to the brim
Related Words: overfill, overstuff

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English Thesaurus: equipment, gear, kit, apparatus, stuff, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. stuff¹ S1 W3 /stʌf/ noun [uncountable]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: estoffe, from estoffer 'to provide with things needed']

1. THINGS informal used when you are talking about things such as substances, materials, or groups of objects when you do not know what they are called, or it is not important to say exactly what they are:
I’ve got some sticky stuff on my shoe.
How do you think you’re going to fit all that stuff into the car?
I felt sorry for the ones who had to eat the awful stuff.
Where’s all the camping stuff?

2. sb’s stuff informal the things that belong to someone:
Did you get the rest of your stuff?

3. ACTIVITIES/IDEAS informal used when talking about different activities, subjects, or ideas, when you do not say exactly what these are:
What kind of stuff do you like to read?
I’ve got so much stuff to do this weekend.
There’s a lot of interesting stuff in this book.
He’s talked to me about all that stuff too.
He does mountain biking and skiing, and stuff like that.

4. WORK/ART informal used when you are talking about what someone has done or made, for example writing, music, or art:
I don’t like his stuff.
John Lee was getting ready to play his stuff.
He did some great stuff in his early films.
good stuff British English (=used to tell someone that their work is good)
This is good stuff.

5. ... and stuff spoken informal used to say that there are other things similar to what you have just mentioned, but you are not going to say what they are:
There’s some very good music there, CD systems and stuff, and laser disks.

6. the (very) stuff of dreams/life/politics exactly the kind of thing that dreams etc consist of:
an enchanting place – the very stuff of dreams

7. CHARACTER the qualities of someone’s character:
Does he have the right stuff (=qualities that make you able to deal with difficulties)?
Surely you’re not going to give up? I thought you were made of sterner stuff (=were more determined).

8. do/show your stuff informal to do what you are good at when everyone wants you to do it:
Come on Gina, get on the dance floor and do your stuff!
⇒ bit of stuff at bit¹(14), ⇒ kid’s stuff at kid¹(4), ⇒ know your stuff at know¹(5), ⇒ strut your stuff at strut¹(2)


GRAMMAR
Stuff is an uncountable noun and has no plural form. Use a singular verb after it:
Most of my stuff is still in packing cases.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. stuff² verb [transitive]

1. PUSH [always + adverb/preposition] to push or put something into a small space, especially in a quick careless way Synonym : shove
stuff something into/in/up something
She stuffed two more sweaters into her bag.

2. FILL to fill something until it is full:
Volunteers were busy stuffing envelopes.
be stuffed with something
a pillow stuffed with feathers
boxes stuffed full of papers

3. FOOD to fill a chicken, pepper etc with a mixture of bread or rice, onion etc before cooking it

4. DEAD ANIMAL to fill the skin of a dead animal in order to make the animal look still alive:
a stuffed owl

5. stuff yourself (also stuff your face) informal to eat so much food that you cannot eat anything else
stuff yourself with
The kids have been stuffing themselves with candy.

6. get stuffed British English spoken used to tell someone very rudely and angrily that you do not want to talk to them or accept their offer:
He only offered me £10 for it, so I told him to get stuffed.

7. somebody can stuff something spoken used to say very angrily or rudely that you do not want what someone is offering:
‘All right. You can stuff your money!’ Reynolds exploded.

8. stuff it spoken used to say angrily or rudely that you do not care about something or do not want something:
I thought, stuff it, I’ll do what I want.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

stuff
verb
ADV. frantically, hastily, quickly
PREP. inside, into He hastily stuffed a few clothes into a bag.
with She stuffed her case with presents for the kids.
PHRASES be stuffed full of sth Her briefcase was stuffed full of papers.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

stuff
noun
BAD: He'd left all his tennis stuffs at home.
GOOD: He'd left all his tennis stuff at home.

Usage Note:
Stuff is an uncountable noun: 'He asked if he could bring his stuff over to my place.'

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Common Errors ▲

equipment noun [uncountable] the machines, tools, or objects that you use for doing something:
All the camping equipment is in the garage.
You’ll do a better job if you have the right equipment.
We are raising money for equipment for our playgroup.
gear noun [uncountable] informal equipment and clothes for an activity that you do in your spare time:
We loaded all our gear into the boat, and set off to go fishing.
I’ve decided to sell my climbing gear.
camping gear
kit noun [countable] things for a particular purpose or activity, especially ones kept together in their own container:
You’ll find a hammer in my tool kit.
Do you have a first aid kit?
You can buy a special kit for damp-proofing your home.
apparatus noun [uncountable] tools and machines used for scientific, medical, and technical purposes:
This experiment can be performed using the apparatus shown in the diagram.
Astronauts have special breathing apparatus.
stuff noun [uncountable] informal equipment that you use to do something:
The builders have left all their stuff round the back of the house.
Where’s the decorating stuff?
things noun [plural] informal especially British English the equipment or clothes that you need for a particular activity:
She went into the shed where her father kept his gardening things.
They got all the Christmas things out of the loft.
paraphernalia noun [uncountable] written a lot of small things that are used for a particular purpose:
All the paraphernalia for making tea and coffee stood on the bedside table.
The police found drug paraphernalia all over the house.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

material noun [uncountable and countable] a substance, especially one that can be used for making things:
building materials
The island has to import oil and other raw materials (=materials used for making things).
radioactive material
substance noun [countable] a type of material such as a chemical or a mineral:
The green colour of the leaf is due to a substance called chlorophyll.
Dioxin is one of the most toxic substances known to man.
matter noun [uncountable] formal a type of substance – used especially in the following phrases:
waste matter from the body
It is important to add plenty of organic matter to the soil.
People throw away lots of vegetable matter.
stuff noun [uncountable] informal a substance - used especially when you do not know exactly what it is:
What’s that sticky stuff on the floor?

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

material noun [uncountable and countable] cloth used for making clothes, curtains etc:
She bought some pretty dress material.
fabric noun [uncountable] cloth used for making clothes, curtains etc:
Man-made fabrics such as polyester are easy to wash and iron.
furnishing fabrics
cloth noun [uncountable] woven material, especially material made from natural substances such as cotton and wool, which has not yet been made into any other products:
The main trade was the production of woollen cloth.
textiles noun [plural] formal a general word for all types of cloth – used especially when talking about the business of producing and selling them:
Textiles are one of Mexico’s main exports.
the textile industry
substance noun [countable] a type of material such as a chemical or a mineral:
The green colour of the leaf is due to a substance called chlorophyll.
Dioxin is one of the most toxic substances known to man.
matter noun [uncountable] formal a type of substance – used especially in the following phrases:
waste matter from the body
It is important to add plenty of organic matter to the soil.
People throw away lots of vegetable matter.
stuff noun [uncountable] informal a substance - used especially when you do not know exactly what it is:
What’s that sticky stuff on the floor?

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

push to make something or someone move by pressing them with your hands, arms etc:
Push the door, don’t pull it.
She pushed him away and walked out.
shove to push someone or something in a rough or careless way:
People were shoving to get to the front of the queue.
Tom shoved his suitcase under the bed.
stuff informal to push something quickly and carelessly into a small space:
She stuffed a few clothes into a bag and left.
poke to push someone or something with your finger or something sharp:
I poked the snake with a stick but it was dead.
nudge to push someone beside you gently with your elbow to get their attention:
Toby nudged me and pointed out of the window.
roll to push something round or something on wheels so that it moves forward:
They rolled the logs down the hill.
The car still didn’t start so we tried to roll it off the road.
wheel to push something with wheels, for example a bicycle or a trolley, so that it moves forward, while guiding it with your hands:
Rob wheeled his bike round the back of the house.
record information about something that is written down:
your medical records
the public records office
I have to keep a record of all my spending when I’m travelling on business.
file a set of written records, or information stored on a computer under a particular name:
He began reading the file on the case.
I think I may have accidentally deleted the file.
accounts (also books informal) an exact record of the money that a company has received and spent:
Companies are required by law to publish their annual accounts.
Someone had been falsifying the accounts.
The company’s books all seemed to be in order.
ledger one of the official books in which a company’s financial records are kept, which show how much it has received and spent:
The costs have been moved from one column of the ledger to another.
minutes an official written record of what is said and decided at a meeting:
Both points are mentioned in the minutes of the last meeting on August 3rd.
diary a book in which you regularly write down the things that have happened to you:
In his diary he wrote, ‘It s lovely having him here, we’ve had so many cosy talks.’
I’ll just check in my diary to see if I’m free.
blog a web page on the Internet on which someone regularly writes about their life, opinions, or a particular subject:
I may not always agree with David, but I always read his blog.
register an official list of names of people, organizations etc:
Guests must sign the hotel register.
the national register of births, deaths, and marriages
Lloyds Register of Shipping
log an official record that is kept on a ship or plane:
Mr Appleby said he complained to a senior officer, who made a note in the ship’s log.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

stuff
stʌf
See: know one's way around(2)

[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲