What does puffiest mean?
Puffiest is the superlative form of the adjective puffy, meaning more swollen, rounded, or inflated. It is especially common when describing food, baked goods, clouds, and other things that expand or contain air. In “the puffiest pancakes,” for example, it identifies the pancakes as having the greatest volume or airiness. The word can also carry a figurative sense of exaggerated self-importance when used in the related form puffier, as in “a puffier sense of his own importance,” though the superlative puffiest is most often literal. It is a natural, informal word rather than a technical term and is used in both British and American English.
adjectiveComparative superlative of puffy; more swollen or inflated, especially with air.
- More swollen or inflated than something else; the superlative form of puffy.
"The soufflé was the puffiest thing I had ever seen."
"She made the puffiest pancakes in the family."
"The puffiest clouds drifted across the summer sky."
From the first syllable of puff, the puffiest describes anything swollen by air or steam.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does puffiest come from?
Puffiest derives from puff, an English verb and noun associated with swelling or expanding with air. The adjective puffy was formed from that root with the suffix -y, and puffiest is its comparative superlative form. Related forms include puffery and puffball, while the word ultimately reflects the idea of something swollen or inflated.
Related word forms
How puffiest is actually used
Usually used predicatively or as the superlative form of puffy; in everyday use it often describes food, clouds, fabric, or anything inflated.