Chaff — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈchaf/

Meaning & Definition of Chaff

Chaff (noun)

  1. the seed coverings and other debris separated from the seed in threshing grain
  2. something comparatively worthless
  3. the scales borne on the receptacle among the florets in the heads of many composite plants
  4. light jesting talk, banter

Chaff (verb)

  1. to tease good-naturedly
  2. jest, banter

Chaff (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. discarded or useless material

    "there's a lot of chaff in this book, and the reader should be on the alert for it"

    similar: deadwood, debris, dreck, dross, dust, effluvium, garbage, junk, litter, offal, offscouring, raffle, refuse, riffraff, rubbish, scrap, spilth, trash, truck, waste
    related: crud, sewage, slop, swill, wash, detritus, remains, rubble, ruins, dump, scrap heap, lumber, odds and ends, trumpery, flotsam, jetsam, wreckage, castoff, cull, discard, hand-me-down, reject, throwaway, nothing, straw, two bits
    near: catch, gem, goody, jewel, pearl, plum, prize, treasure, treasure trove, trove, valuable, booty, find, salvage

  2. good-natured teasing or exchanging of clever remarks

    "I got no end of chaff about my accent when I was in the military"

    similar: backchat, badinage, banter, give-and-take, jesting, joshing, persiflage, raillery, repartee
    related: barb, crack, dig, gag, gambit, jest, joke, laugh, pleasantry, quip, sally, waggery, wisecrack, witticism, drollness, facetiousness, funniness, hilariousness, humorousness, richness, fooling, kidding, mocking, razzing, ribbing, ridiculing, humor, wit, wordplay, nothings, chatter, chitchat, gossip, small talk

Chaff (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to make fun of in a good-natured way

    "chaffed her about the brightly colored shirt she had received as a gift"

    similar: jive, joke, josh, kid, rally, razz, rib, ride, roast, tease, goof on (slang), take the mickey out of (British)
    related: banter, fool, fun, string along, jest, quip, wisecrack, gag, jape, jolly, yuk (slang)

  2. to make jokes

    "a coworker who likes to chaff at others' expense, and this often results in hurt feelings"

    similar: banter, fool, fun, gag, jape, jest, jive, joke, jolly, josh, kid, quip, wisecrack, yuk (slang), crack wise
    related: gibe, haze, jeer, mock, rag, rally, razz, rib, ridicule, tease, caricature, lampoon, parody, satirize, amuse, divert, entertain

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Chaff

The most common words with a similar meaning to Chaff:

Slang: goof on, yuk
British: take the mickey out of
deadwood, debris, dreck, dross, dust, effluvium, garbage, junk, litter, offal, offscouring, raffle, refuse, riffraff, rubbish, scrap, spilth, trash, truck, waste, backchat, badinage, banter, give-and-take, jesting, joshing, persiflage, raillery, repartee, jive, joke, josh, kid, rally, razz, rib, ride, roast, tease, fool

Related Words for Chaff

crud, sewage, slop, swill, wash, detritus, remains, rubble, ruins, dump, scrap heap, lumber, odds and ends, trumpery, flotsam, jetsam, wreckage, castoff, cull, discard, hand-me-down, reject, throwaway, nothing, straw, two bits, barb, crack, dig, gambit

Near Antonyms of Chaff

catch, gem, goody, jewel, pearl, plum, prize, treasure, treasure trove, trove, valuable, booty, find, salvage

Word Forms of Chaff

Inflections: chaffed, chaffing, chaffs

Derived words: chaffy (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Chaff

Middle English chaf, from Old English ceaf; akin to Old High German cheva husk

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Chaff

Words & Phrases Containing Chaff

separate the wheat from the chaff

Frequently Asked Questions about Chaff

What does "Chaff" mean?

"Chaff" means the seed coverings and other debris separated from the seed in threshing grain. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: the seed coverings and other debris separated from the seed in threshing grain. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Chaff"?

Other words for "Chaff" include deadwood, debris, dreck, dross, dust, effluvium, garbage and junk. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Chaff" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Chaff"?

There are 120 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Chaff". Common alternatives include deadwood, debris, dreck, dross, dust, effluvium, garbage, junk, litter and offal.

How do you use "Chaff" in a sentence?

Examples of "Chaff" in a sentence: "there's a lot of chaff in this book, and the reader should be on the alert for it"; "I got no end of chaff about my accent when I was in the military"; "chaffed her about the brightly colored shirt she had received as a gift".

Is "Chaff" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Chaff" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Chaff" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Chaff" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Chaff"?

"Chaff" is pronounced /ˈchaf/.

What is the origin of the word "Chaff"?

"Chaff" comes from Middle English chaf, from Old English ceaf; akin to Old High German cheva husk. First known use: before 12th century.