What does tufted mean?
Tufted is an adjective meaning that something has a tuft or is arranged in small clusters. The word is especially familiar from descriptions of hair, feathers, plants, upholstery, and furniture: a tufted sofa has buttons or stitching that create raised clusters, while tufted hair is gathered into a small group at the crown or front of the head. It can also describe birds or other animals distinguished by a prominent crest. In its verbal use, “tufted” is the past tense and past participle of “tuft,” meaning to form or provide with a tuft. The word has a gentle, descriptive quality and often suggests texture, softness, decorative detail, or an organic cluster. Although “tufted” can apply to many materials and living things, it is particularly common in fashion, interior design, and descriptions of birds.
Having a tuft or tufts, especially covered with or arranged in clusters.
"The bird has a tufted crest and bright plumage."
Common in descriptions of hair, feathers, plants, textiles, and furniture.
Past tense and past participle of “tuft,” meaning to form a tuft or to provide with one.
"The upholsterer tufted the leather with evenly spaced buttons."
A tufted sofa turns ordinary upholstery into a landscape of small, tactile hills.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tufted come from?
“Tufted” is formed from the English noun and verb “tuft.” The noun comes through Middle English from an Old French word related to a Germanic source, and the related English word “tousle” has a history involving a tuft or cluster of hair. The adjective and the past-tense and past-participle verb forms developed from the base word “tuft.”
Related word forms
How tufted is actually used
The adjective is common in descriptions of hairstyles, birds, plants, textiles, and furniture. As a verb form, “tufted” describes the result of forming a tuft or providing something with a tuft; it is not normally used as an independent present-tense verb.