noun
duff
duhf
noun
1
A stiff, boiled or steamed pudding, often made with dried fruit.
"They served plum duff for dessert after the Sunday roast."
2
Decaying leaves and plant matter covering the forest floor.
"The hikers' boots sank into the soft duff beneath the pines."
adj
1
(informal, chiefly British) Broken, worthless, or not working properly.
"The secondhand phone turned out to be duff."
verb
1
(golf, informal) To mishit a shot by striking the ground behind the ball.
"He duffed his approach shot into the rough."
How to Use Duff
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDepending on context: a boiled fruit pudding, forest-floor litter, something broken or fake (British slang), or a bad golf shot.
When to use it
The "broken/fake" and golf senses are informal, mainly British and Commonwealth usage.
Common pairings
plum duff
duff information
duff a shot
Word Forms
duffer comparative, duffed past tense, duffs plural, duffs plural, duffs plural, Duffs plural, duffs singular, duffest superlative
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They served plum _____ for dessert after the Sunday roast.