How much "fluff" is too much? Struggling to meet the word count without losing quality.

I need help. I'm staring at a 2,500-word paper that's due in two days. I have all my research, my argument is solid... but I'm at 2,000 words and my brain is just empty. I know I could pad it out. I could add a few extra adjectives here, repeat my thesis in a slightly different way there, maybe add a whole paragraph that's just a long example...

But I hate doing that. It feels so dishonest, you know? Like I'm disrespecting my own ideas and, more importantly, the professor's time. They're going to read this and just know I was scraping the bottom of the barrel. It makes the writing weak and watery.

So when does the necessary elaboration cross the line into "fluff"? I feel like I've already explained all my points clearly. Is it better to turn in a concise 2,000-word paper that's tight and powerful, or to fluff it up to meet the requirement? My last paper got a comment saying "good points, but could have been more concise," and now I'm so confused. Does "more concise" just mean I should have written less than the word count, or that I didn't use my space effectively? I'm spiraling.

Help a stressed junior out!

Fluff is when you're adding words without adding value. Like saying "in my personal opinion" instead of just stating the thing.

But elaboration isn't fluff. If your argument is solid at 2000 words, maybe you haven't fully explored the implications of your points. What does your argument mean for X? How does it connect to Y?

Also, have you considered the counterarguments? Addressing those legitimately adds substance AND words. Win-win.