pouf

C2 Topic:General Vocabulary

noun /puːf/ intj /pʊf/ See IPA manual

Freq #81829

Meanings

1

noun
a low, firm, cushioned seat without a back or arms, also used as a footstool

US /puːf/ UK /puːf/

She pulled the pouf closer to the sofa and rested her feet on it.
2

noun
a high, padded, or rolled arrangement of hair, especially an elaborate eighteenth-century headdress

US /puːf/ UK /puːf/

The portrait shows her hair arranged in a towering powdered pouf.
3

intj
an exclamation imitating a sudden puff or disappearance, or accompanying a dismissive gesture

US /pʊf/ UK /pʊf/

Pouf! He waved away their gloomy prediction as nonsense.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a low, firm, cushioned seat... ottomanhassockfootstool

2 noun · a high, padded, or rolled... bouffantpuff

3 intj · an exclamation imitating a... poof

Word family

Derived forms pouffy

Related forms pouffepuffbouffant

Etymology

Borrowed from French pouf or pouff, an imitative word suggesting a puff, soft impact, or sudden disappearance. The image of something puffed out produced the senses for a padded seat, gathered fabric, and a raised hairstyle; the exclamation preserves the sound-symbolic use.

Topics

General Vocabulary

External links

# pouf

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun, intj
**IPA (US):** /puːf/
**IPA (UK):** /puːf/
**Frequency rank:** 81829

## Meanings
1. a low, firm, cushioned seat without a back or arms, also used as a footstool
2. a high, padded, or rolled arrangement of hair, especially an elaborate eighteenth-century headdress
3. an exclamation imitating a sudden puff or disappearance, or accompanying a dismissive gesture

## Examples
- She pulled the pouf closer to the sofa and rested her feet on it.
- The portrait shows her hair arranged in a towering powdered pouf.
- Pouf! He waved away their gloomy prediction as nonsense.

## Synonyms
- ottoman
- hassock
- footstool
- bouffant
- poof

## Derived Forms
- pouffy

## Related Forms
- pouffe
- puff
- bouffant

## Etymology
Borrowed from French pouf or pouff, an imitative word suggesting a puff, soft impact, or sudden disappearance. The image of something puffed out produced the senses for a padded seat, gathered fabric, and a raised hairstyle; the exclamation preserves the sound-symbolic use.

## Topics
- General Vocabulary

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