When I'm at home there's a lot of stuff to do; I don't even have time to watch TV.
Source: tatoeba (24260)
Stuff
/stʌf/
Synonyms for "stuff" (472 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (95)
abilitiesaccessoriesaccomplishmentsaddictive drugairalimentallayanhydrateatomatomic particlesatomsattitudeattributesaxiombaggagebalderdashbaloneybarbattenbeing
Show 60 more words
belongingsbindblast-freezeblockblock upblockadeboltbolt downboshbottombreast-feedbrimbrinebrute matterbuilding blockbullbullshitbungbunkbunkumcandycapabilitiescaulkceilcenterchargechattelschemical elementchinkchockchokechoke offchoke upclaptrapclobberclogclog upclothcloycomponentcompresscongestconstipateconstituentcorduroycorecorkcorncottoncovercramcram incrapcreationscrowdcrowd incuredamdam updangerous drug
Strong matches (141)
dehydratedesiccatedevourdistillatedistillationdopedoughdraperydrenchdrive indrugdrydry curedry nursedry-curedry-nursedry-salteartheffectselement
Show 90 more words
elementary particleelementary unitelixirembalmengorgeentityequipmentessenceessentialessentialityessentialsetoffeevaporatefabricfacefattenfatten upfeatherfeltfiddle-faddlefillfill to overflowingfill upfireflapdoodleflowerfocusforceforce inforce-feedfosterfoulfreezefreeze dryfreeze-dryfreightfumefundamentalfundamental particlefundamentalsfurfurnituregarbagegeargistglutgluttonizegobblegoodgoodsgorgegormandizegravamengritgulpgulp downguttleguzzlehard drughard stuffhearthogwashhot airhumbughylehypostasisimpactimpedimentaindividualingredientsinlayinner essenceinterlineirradiatejadejamjam injam-packjerkjunkkernelkipperkitknock inlacelactateladelinelive to eatload
Verb(16 words)
does matterenglutengorgefarcefill a containerfilledglutgorgegorgedgormandisegormandizegourmandizeingurgitateinterlardslardedlug
Adjective(1 words)
italian materia
Related words (236)
lumbermakingsmalarkeymarinademarinatemarrowmaterialmaterial resourcesmaterial worldmaterialitymaterialsmaterielmattermeatmediummoleculemonadmoneymoolahmummify
Show 170 more words
naperynatural worldnaturenitty grittynonsensenourishnubnucleusnursenurturenutrifynuts and boltsnylonobjectobstipateobstructoverburdenoverchargeoverdoseovereatoverfeedoverfillovergorgeoverindulgeoverladeoverloadoversaturateoverstuffoverweightpackpack inpadpallpangparaphernaliapelfpersonalphysical worldpicklepifflepithplenumplugplug upplunderplunge inpoke inpoppycockpossessionspostulatepound inpreparationpreservatizepreservepresspress inprinciplepropertypush inquick-freezequidquiddityquintessencequintessentialragramram inravenraw materialrefrigeraterhinorocksrootrotrubbishrun insaltsapsatesatiatesatisfysaturatescratchseasonshekelsshitshovesilkslakesmashsmokesmoke-curesoaksoulspilespiritsquashsqueezesqueeze instanchstaplestaystenchstockstopstop upstopperstopplestorestowstuff and nonsensestuff instuff upstumpysubstancesubstancessubstratumsucklesugarsum and substancesuperchargesupersaturatesupplysurchargesurfeitswagswilltackletalentstamptamp intangibletenortextiletextile fabrictexturethe four elementsthe nitty-grittythingthingsthrustthrust intimbertissutissuetop offtrappingstrapstrashtrickstripetrucktwaddleunit of beingvirtualitywadwainscotwaterweavewebwedge inweftweightwet nursewet-nursewolfwolf downwoofwoolworks
Noun(28 words)
Verb(14 words)
Adjective(4 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: material, abilities, accessories, accomplishments, addictive drug.
- Sentence evidence is available for stuff, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "stuff".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "stuff"
Keep "stuff" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "stuff" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "stuff", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "stuff" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
54 entriesShowing 16 of 54 words.
More specific
17 entriesShowing 16 of 17 words.
Collocations
11 entrieshousehold stufflearning stuffrandom stuffschool stuffscience stuffstuff a bagstuff a boxstuff a pillowstuff the backpackstuff the envelopestuff with padding
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
8 entriesAntonyms
1 entriessimilar
1 entriesTranslations
95 translations across 33 languages.
Afrikaans
4 entries- goed noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- goeters noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- materie noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
- stof noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
Ancient Greek
1 entries- ὕλη noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
Bengali
1 entries- সামান noun (miscellaneous items; things)
Bulgarian
3 entries- ве́щи noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- вещество noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
- материя noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
Chinese Cantonese
1 entries- 嘢 noun (miscellaneous items; things)
Chinese Mandarin
3 entries- 材料 noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
- 東西 /东西 noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- 東西 /东西 noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
Danish
4 entries- materiale noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
- sager noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- stof noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
- ting noun (miscellaneous items; things)
Dutch
4 entries- goedje noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- spul noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- stof noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- waar noun (miscellaneous items; things)
Finnish
1 entries- tavara noun (miscellaneous items; things)
French
2 entries- truc noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- truc noun (substitution for trivial details)
Galician
4 entries- cousas noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- matarutaxe noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- murriada noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- trapallada noun (miscellaneous items; things)
German
4 entries- Ding noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- Kram noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- Kram noun (substitution for trivial details)
- Sachen noun (miscellaneous items; things)
Greek
2 entries- ουσία noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
- πράγματα noun (miscellaneous items; things)
Hebrew
3 entries- חומר \ חֹמֶר noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- חומר \ חֹמֶר noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
- חומר \ חֹמֶר noun (substitution for trivial details)
Hungarian
4 entries- anyag noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
- cucc noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- dolog noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- dolog noun (substitution for trivial details)
Irish
2 entries- mianach noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
- stuif noun (miscellaneous items; things)
Italian
4 entries- cose noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- roba noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- stoffa noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
- tessuto noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
Japanese
3 entries- 原料 noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
- 材料 noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
- 素材 noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
Korean
1 entries- 잡것 noun (miscellaneous items; things)
Latin
1 entries- māteria noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
Malay
1 entries- barang noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
Norwegian
4 entries- materiale noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
- saker noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- saker noun (substitution for trivial details)
- stoff noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
Polish
2 entries- bambetle noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- rzeczy noun (miscellaneous items; things)
Portuguese
3 entries- coisas noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- material noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
- negócio noun (miscellaneous items; things)
Romanian
2 entries- chestii noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- lucruri noun (miscellaneous items; things)
Russian
4 entries- ве́щи noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- вещество́ noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
- добро́ noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- штуки noun (miscellaneous items; things)
Scottish Gaelic
1 entries- stuth noun (miscellaneous items; things)
Spanish
4 entries- bártulos noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- cosas noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- cosas noun (substitution for trivial details)
- relleno noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
Swedish
4 entries- material noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
- saker noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- stoff noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
- stoppning noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
Tamil
1 entries- பொருள் noun (miscellaneous items; things)
Turkish
3 entries- hammadde noun (the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object)
- şey noun (miscellaneous items; things)
- şeyler noun (miscellaneous items; things)
Vietnamese
1 entries- đồ noun (miscellaneous items; things)
Zazaki
1 entries- hımın noun (miscellaneous items; things)
Sample sentences
58 total sentences available.
I don't see how you can eat that stuff.
Source: tatoeba (29978)
Oooh, sick! What is that stuff? It's all spongy.
Source: tatoeba (36216)
If you stuff the box too full, the bottom will fall out.
Source: tatoeba (44478)
Showing 4 of 58 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "stuff"?
Closest matches include material, abilities, accessories, accomplishments, addictive drug.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "stuff"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.