bouffant

adjective

: puffed out
bouffant hairdos
a bouffant veil

Examples of bouffant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Margo paints her skin alien blue, dons an orange bouffant wig and skimpy silver ensemble, and names her character Hungry Ghost, reclaiming an allusion from one of Mark’s purple poems. Judy Berman, Time, 15 Apr. 2026 Pennington and his wife, Babe — the daughter of his meat supplier — moved Damburger to its current spot behind the Shasta County elections office in 1962 and hired Marge Thayer, a stout woman with a bouffant bob who remembered every regular’s exact order, if not their name. Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026 Elsa’s story is quickly revealed as fiction, written by Raúl, a film director in 2026 (Argentina’s Leonardo Sbaraglia, an Almodovar look-alike in his flamboyant bouffant white hair). John Hopewell, Variety, 6 Apr. 2026 Among the sparkling gowns and bouffant wigs are a still-growing selection from Heklina’s own collection, donated in the past year by the performer’s close friend and executor Nancy French. Tony Bravo, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bouffant

Word History

Etymology

French, from Middle French, from present participle of bouffer to puff

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bouffant was in 1826

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bouffant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bouffant. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster