Phrasal verb
fluff up
Definition
phrasal verb. to shake or pat something soft, like a pillow or your hair, so it looks full and light again.
phrasal verb. to make something soft or fibrous more voluminous by shaking, patting, or loosening the material.
Examples
“She fluffs up the pillows every morning.”
“The bird fluffed up its feathers to stay warm in the cold wind.”
“Before the guests arrived, the decorator took a moment to fluff up the cushions and straighten the silk throws.”
Examples
simple
“She fluffs up the pillows every morning.”
contextual
“The bird fluffed up its feathers to stay warm in the cold wind.”
complex
“Before the guests arrived, the decorator took a moment to fluff up the cushions and straighten the silk throws.”
Usage
usually used with soft objects like pillows, cushions, hair, or feathers.
Teaching tip
this is a great example of a phrasal verb where the particle 'up' indicates an increase in volume or size; contrast with 'flatten' or 'squash'.
Pitfall
He fluffed up it before sleeping.
He fluffed it up before sleeping.
when using a pronoun like 'it', it must go between the verb and the particle in this optional separable phrasal verb.
Phrasal verb
Particles
up
Separability
optional
Pattern
fluff + (object) + up
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/fluff-up