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Fluffy

adjective FLUH-fee ˈflʌfi

Also spelled: flufy

Meaning

A softened, often affectionate or self-affirming way of describing a person, usually a woman, who is plump or full-figured, chosen to avoid the harshness of words like 'fat'. It carries a body-positive tone rather than an insult.

Examples

  • “She a fluffy gyal an she proud a it.”

    She's a full-figured girl and she's proud of it.

    'a' before 'fluffy' functions as the equating verb here, standing in for 'is'.

  • “Mi love how mi fluffy body look inna dis dress.”

    I love how my full figure looks in this dress.

    Used self-referentially as a term of self-acceptance.

  • “Nuh badda call har fat, seh she fluffy.”

    Don't go calling her fat, say she's fluffy.

    Shows the word being offered as the polite alternative to 'fat'.

Origin

Borrowed from English 'fluffy' (soft, puffy), repurposed as a gentle euphemism for a full body; part of a wider Caribbean and diaspora body-positivity vocabulary.

How it's used

Generally friendly or affectionate, but tone matters — said mockingly it can still sting. Widely used by and about women; a woman describing herself as fluffy is claiming pride, not apologising.

Related words