bluff

1
[ bluhf ]
See synonyms for: bluffblufferbluffing on Thesaurus.com

adjective,bluff·er, bluff·est.
  1. good-naturedly direct, blunt, or frank; heartily outspoken: a big, bluff, generous man.

  2. presenting a bold and nearly perpendicular front, as a coastline: a bluff, precipitous headland.

  1. Nautical. (of the bow of a vessel) having a full, blunt form.

noun
  1. a cliff, headland, or hill with a broad, steep face.

  2. North Dakota, Wisconsin, and the Canadian Prairie Provinces. a clump or grove of trees on a prairie or other generally treeless area.

Origin of bluff

1
First recorded in 1620–30; origin uncertain; perhaps from Middle Low German blaff “smooth, even,” or from Middle Dutch blaf “broad, flat,” i.e., of a face or forehead

synonym study For bluff

1. See blunt.

Other words for bluff

Opposites for bluff

Other words from bluff

  • bluffly, adverb
  • bluffness, noun

Words Nearby bluff

Other definitions for bluff (2 of 2)

bluff2
[ bluhf ]

verb (used with object)
  1. to mislead by a display of knowledge, self-confidence, or boldness: He bluffed me into believing that he was a doctor.

  2. to gain by a misleading display of knowledge, self-confidence, or boldness: He bluffed his way into the job.

  1. Poker, Bridge. to deceive (an opponent) by a show of confidence in the strength of one's cards.

verb (used without object)
  1. to mislead someone by presenting a bold, strong, or self-confident front: They threatened to sue, but they were only bluffing.

  2. Poker, Bridge. to deceive an opponent by a show of confidence in the strength of one's cards.

noun
  1. an act or instance or the practice of misleading by presenting a bold, strong, or self-confident front: Her story was all a bluff to get money from us.His assertive manner is mostly bluff.

  2. a person who misleads by presenting knowledge, self-confidence, or boldness; bluffer: That big bluff doesn't have a nickel to his name.

Origin of bluff

2
First recorded in 1665–75; origin uncertain; perhaps from Low German bluffen “to bluster, frighten”; akin to Middle Dutch bluffen “to make a trick at cards”

Other words for bluff

Other words from bluff

  • bluff·a·ble, adjective
  • bluff·er, noun
  • un·bluff·a·ble, adjective
  • un·bluffed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use bluff in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bluff (1 of 2)

bluff1

/ (blʌf) /


verb
  1. to pretend to be confident about an uncertain issue or to have undisclosed resources, in order to influence or deter (someone)

noun
  1. deliberate deception intended to create the impression of a stronger position or greater resources than one actually has

  2. call someone's bluff to challenge someone to give proof of his claims

Origin of bluff

1
C19: originally US poker-playing term, from Dutch bluffen to boast

Derived forms of bluff

  • bluffer, noun

British Dictionary definitions for bluff (2 of 2)

bluff2

/ (blʌf) /


noun
  1. a steep promontory, bank, or cliff, esp one formed by river erosion on the outside bend of a meander

  2. Canadian a clump of trees on the prairie; copse

adjective
  1. good-naturedly frank and hearty

  2. (of a bank, cliff, etc) presenting a steep broad face

Origin of bluff

2
C17 (in the sense: nearly perpendicular): perhaps from Middle Dutch blaf broad

Derived forms of bluff

  • bluffly, adverb
  • bluffness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with bluff

bluff

see call someone's bluff.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.