padding out
Inflating with fluff
Padding out is adding unnecessary material to make something longer or fuller than it needs to be.
A student pads out an essay to meet a word count; a speaker pads out a presentation to fill the time slot.
The phrase implies the added content lacks substance: The film was padded out with repetitive flashbacks.
See also pad out.
- cushioningSoftening force or fall
- verbosityUnnecessary word excess
- circumlocutionIndirect, wordy expression
- prolixityTedious lengthiness in speech
- stuffingSeasoned mixture for cavities
going on and on · extension · overstatement · redundancy · bulkiness · overdevelopment · inflation · elaboration · detailing · augmentation · broadening · waffle · hot air · word salad · amplification · softening · lining · embellishment
conciseness
padding outcondensing
Reducing in volume
trimming · cutting · paring down · tightening · streamlining
padding, pad, padded, pads, out, outer, outing, outward, outwardly