muff
muff — noun
- muffsingular
- muffsplural
1. a short, open-ended pouch of fur or padded fabric that women in past centuries t
a short, open-ended pouch of fur or padded fabric that women in past centuries tucked both hands into for winter warmth
Astrid discovered a silk muff in the costume trunk and asked about its history.
collocation: silk muff / fur muff / velvet muff
The bride wore a white fur muff that matched her long winter coat.
Tamar learned that ladies in the 1800s carried a muff instead of modern gloves.
Salma’s grandmother kept her hands warm with a velvet muff during church services.
The museum displayed a fur muff decorated with pearls from Queen Victoria’s era.
文法句型
muff + material adjective (fur, silk, velvet)
用法筆記
Typically described by its material (fur muff, velvet muff, silk muff). Used almost exclusively in historical writing or costume contexts, as the object itself is no longer in everyday use.
常見錯誤
❗️ 'She slipped her hands into a muffler.' ✅ 'She slipped her hands into a muff.' — A muffler is a scarf worn around the neck, not a hand-warmer.
2. an error in sports, especially when a player drops a ball or performs a simple a
an error in sports, especially when a player drops a ball or performs a simple action in a clumsy way that costs the team an advantage
Mark’s muff of the catch let the other team score the winning point.
pattern: muff of the catch
Lucas was embarrassed by his muff during the championship baseball game.
A muff by the goalkeeper allowed the ball to trickle across the goal line.
Tomás blamed himself for the muff that cost his team the semi-final match.
The coach insisted that one muff did not define a player’s whole season.
文法句型
a muff + of + noun phrase (a catch, a ball, a play)
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively in sports journalism and commentary, not in general conversation for non-sport errors. Subject is typically a catch, a throw, or a routine defensive play.
常見錯誤
❗️ 'I made a muff at work today.' ✅ 'I made a muff during the baseball game.' — The noun 'muff' for mistakes is limited to sports contexts; use the verb form for general situations.
muff — verb
- muffpresent simple I / you / we / they
- muffs3rd person singular
- muffing-ing form
- muffedpast simple
1. to handle a task or opportunity so carelessly or clumsily that you ruin your cha
to handle a task or opportunity so carelessly or clumsily that you ruin your chance of success
Kabir muffed his chance to join the band by forgetting the lyrics.
collocation: muffed his chance
Jisoo muffed the audition because she had not practiced enough beforehand.
The politician muffed his speech and the crowd grew restless and bored.
Hugo completely muffed his driving test by missing three stop signs.
I muffed the recipe by adding salt instead of sugar to the cake mixture.
文法句型
muff + noun phrase (chance, opportunity, interview, test, audition, lines)
用法筆記
Object is typically a planned performance or opportunity — an audition, interview, exam, speech, or chance. Not used for ruining objects (do not say 'muff a vase' for breaking it).
常見錯誤
❗️ 'I muffed the exam, so I failed it.' ✅ 'I muffed the exam by rushing through the questions.' — 'Muff' already implies failure; avoid adding 'so I failed' which is redundant.
2. in sports, to drop a ball that should have been caught, or to mishandle a play t
in sports, to drop a ball that should have been caught, or to mishandle a play through clumsy movement
Samir muffed the catch and the ball hit him squarely in the chest.
pattern: muff the catch
Obi muffed an easy throw from his teammate during the final play.
The outfielder muffed the ball and it dropped at his feet in the grass.
The shortstop muffed the grounder and everyone on the bench groaned loudly.
Zara muffed the volleyball serve and the ball hit the net instead of going over.
文法句型
muff + noun phrase (ball, catch, serve, throw, pass)
用法筆記
Object is always a ball or a catch in a sports setting. The player is expected to make the catch but fails due to poor hand positioning or loss of concentration. Not used for intentionally dropping the ball.
常見錯誤
❗️ 'The goalkeeper muffed the ball on purpose to waste time.' ✅ 'The goalkeeper fumbled the ball on purpose to waste time.' — 'Muff' implies an accidental error caused by clumsiness, not an intentional action.