Definition

1. Noun:
   • A boring, extremely formal, pompous, and old-fashioned person: A "stuffed shirt" is a person, typically in a position of authority or perceived importance, who is rigidly conventional, self-importantly serious, and overly concerned with formalities and appearances. The term implies a lack of warmth, humor, and adaptability.

Usage

• The term is used as a countable noun to describe a person's character or demeanor, often in a critical or dismissive way.
• It is considered informal and somewhat old-fashioned itself, carrying a connotation of ridicule.
• It is typically used in the singular form: "a stuffed shirt."

Examples

• Noun:
  • The new manager is a real stuffed shirt; he insists on titles and won't let anyone call him by his first name.
  • Don't be such a stuffed shirt! The party is supposed to be fun.
  • The board was full of old stuffed shirts who rejected every innovative idea.

Advanced Usage

• Used attributively: The term can be used before another noun to describe a characteristic.
  • We're trying to change the company's stuffed-shirt image.

Variants and Related Words

• Stuffy (adj): This is the related adjective, meaning dull, conventional, and pompous. It is more commonly used today.
  • The atmosphere at the club is too stuffy for me.

Synonyms

• Fogey / Fogy (n): An old-fashioned, conservative person.
• Prig (n): A self-righteously moralistic person who behaves as if superior to others.
• Bore (n): A tedious person.
• Pedant (n): A person who is overly concerned with minor details and rules.

Antonyms

• Free spirit (n): A person who thinks and acts in an uninhibited way without worrying about normal social rules.
• Nonconformist (n): A person whose behavior or views do not conform to prevailing ideas or practices.

Idioms and Related Phrases

• "To be a stuffed shirt": This is the standard idiomatic phrase itself. There are no common phrasal verbs derived from it.
• The idiom likely originates from the late 19th/early 20th century, comparing a pompous person to a formal shirt that is stiffly starched or "stuffed" with self-importance, as opposed to being worn comfortably.

Noun

1. a bore who is extremely formal, pompous, and old-fashioned