Phrasal verb
fluff out
Definition
phrasal verb. to make something look bigger, softer, or fuller by shaking it or moving it with your hands.
phrasal verb. to increase the volume or loft of a soft object, such as a pillow or feathers, by agitation or manual manipulation.
Examples
“You should fluff out the pillows before the guests arrive.”
“The bird began to fluff out its feathers to stay warm in the cold morning air.”
“The stylist spent several minutes attempting to fluff out the model's hair to create a more dramatic silhouette for the photoshoot.”
Examples
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.”
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'.
Phrasal verb
Particles
out
Separability
optional
Pattern
fluff + out + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/fluff-out