stuffed shirt

noun

1. a pompous, self-satisfied, and inflexible person.

stuffed shirt

noun

1. informal,  a pompous or formal person

Word History and Origins

Origin of stuffed shirt¹

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15

Idioms and Phrases

An overly formal or pompous person, as in She's such a stuffed shirt that I'm surprised you'd invite her to a barbecue. This expression alludes to a shirt filled with paper (instead of a real person). [c. 1900]

Example Sentences

For both the real actor and her symbiotic onscreen counterpart, the answer is more complicated than any of the stuffed shirts who control the world think it should be.

From Salon

The term "stuffed shirt" was invented for a character such as McCarthy, who resigned his office after being ousted as speaker of the House earlier this year.

From Salon

There’s another son, Michael, played by Jake Davies; he’s a stuffed shirt who’s embarrassed by his father until — just watch the movie.

From Washington Post

In the 2020 documentary “When Seattle Invented the Future,” fair special events coordinator Louis Larsen remembers the prince as “a stuffed shirt,” who said, “What am I, a trained seal?”

From Seattle Times

Both Baker and Cameron capture this optimistic atmosphere in the early scenes of their films: Irish jigs below deck and fine dining with the stuffed shirts above.

From Salon