# stuffed shirt

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/stuffed-shirt
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

One who is pompous or self-important, especially one who is either officious or punctilious in a position of authority.

## Examples

- He is such a stuffed shirt at work.
- Nobody invited the manager to the party because he is a total stuffed shirt who ruins the fun.
- The board of directors was filled with stuffed shirts who cared more about rigid protocol than the actual progress of the company.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.