(Britain, Ireland, Commonwealth, colloquial, Polari) Bad; tasteless, poorly thought out, not workable.
I suspect this is the inevitable result of people wanting to seem smarter by phrasing their criticisms in terms of "accuracy to the source text!", instead of just saying "looks a bit naff".
Oh definitely worth a visit, friendly and excellent range, service & ambience. Tried the the Gaston and Cie which looked better but in practice was a bit naff.
(Britain, Ireland, Commonwealth, colloquial, Polari) Bad; tasteless, poorly thought out, not workable.
That tie is a bit naff, don’t you think?
"naff" means: Bad; tasteless, poorly thought out, not workable.. This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
Add your own interpretation of "naff".
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Browse all slang words starting with N.
(UK, slang) An intensifier.
British slang meaning annoyed or irritated — the past participle form of 'naff off' (a polite British substitute for 'fuck off') used as an adjective for the state of being fed up or put out. 'Naffed off' is slightly softer than 'pissed off' and carries a more restrained, British sense of displeasure. Commonly used in polite or broadcast-safe contexts where stronger language would be inappropriate.
(chiefly, UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, slang) Nothing (variant of fuck all).
(UK, Ireland, AU, NZ, informal) A bad smell.
I do not have any strong feelings on Neon Odyssey other than it looks naff, but Kickstarter's option to pay in instalments is absolutely fucking diabolical.
"naff" means: Bad; tasteless, poorly thought out, not workable.. This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.
"naff" means: Bad; tasteless, poorly thought out, not workable.. Register: informal slang, fine in casual conversation, texting and social media but not in academic essays, business writing or formal speech. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
(Polari) Heterosexual.
She was an ordinary woman in her dress style; she didn't wear a leather bodice or naff over-knee plastic spiky-heeled boots.
“I suspect this is the inevitable result of people wanting to seem smarter by phrasing their criticisms in terms of "accuracy to the source text!", instead of just saying "looks a bit naff".”
“Oh definitely worth a visit, friendly and excellent range, service & ambience. Tried the the Gaston and Cie which looked better but in practice was a bit naff.”
“I do not have any strong feelings on Neon Odyssey other than it looks naff, but Kickstarter's option to pay in instalments is absolutely fucking diabolical.”
“one or two details a bit naff, but completed another blender tutorial Again, tutorial workflow by Grant Abbitt on youtube.”
“As well as being a terrible parker, that number plate is naff.”