noun

stuff

STUF/stʌf/

Unspecified material making up something.

An open cardboard box holds some stuff, with more scattered beside it.

A loose assortment of unrelated everyday belongings partly filling an open cardboard box and spilling beside it, emphasizing miscellaneous stuff rather than a named set.

Etymology

stuffOld Frenchquilted material, furnishings, provisions

Old French estoffe named quilted material, furnishings, and provisions. English broadened the word from padding and practical supplies to possessions generally, then to unspecified matter, whether physical or abstract.

In context

Jean-Denis Haas5:06

I kind of like the the material the refractions the lights and all that good stuff

Inside Out 2 (Disney/Pixar Teaser) - Animation Analysis and Reaction

More examples

What is the sticky stuff on the counter?
This jacket is made of tough stuff.
She has the stuff it takes to be a great coach.

Forms

stuff

Similar words

material: More specifically names a substance used to make something.
belongings: Specifically means possessions, not substances or personal qualities.
things: Suggests separate items rather than an undifferentiated substance.