stuffed shirt

The term "stuffed shirt" is an idiom used to describe someone who is excessively formal, self-important, and often unapproachable.

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Definition

(informal, idiomatic)A person who is overly formal, self-important, and often inflexible.

He's such a stuffed shirt, always insisting on following the rules to the letter.
Nobody likes working with a stuffed shirt who can't take a joke.

Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "stuffed shirt":