ENGLISH
REFERENCE

fluff out

phr. v..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford

phr. v.. to make something look bigger, softer, or fuller by shaking it or moving it with your hands.

phr. v.. to increase the volume or loft of a soft object, such as a pillow or feathers, by agitation or manual manipulation.


SIMPLE

You should fluff out the pillows before the guests arrive.

CONTEXTUAL

The bird began to fluff out its feathers to stay warm in the cold morning air.

COMPLEX

The stylist spent several minutes attempting to fluff out the model's hair to create a more dramatic silhouette for the photoshoot.

Particles
out
Separability
optional
Pattern
fluff + out + object
Usage

usually applied to soft, fibrous, or feathered objects that can hold air.

Teaching tip

use a physical gesture of shaking a pillow to demonstrate the meaning; contrast with 'flatten' to show the change in volume.

Pitfall

He fluffed out of the cushions.He fluffed out the cushions.the verb is transitive and takes a direct object without an extra preposition like 'of'.

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