bluff

¹ American  

[bluhf] / blʌf /

adjective

bluffer, bluffest

1. good-naturedly direct, blunt, or frank; heartily outspoken.

   a big, bluff, generous man.

   Synonyms:

   straightforward, plain-spoken, honest, open, forthright, direct, blunt

   Antonyms:

   roundabout, indirect, circuitous

2. presenting a bold and nearly perpendicular front, as a coastline.

   a bluff, precipitous headland.

   Synonyms:

   steep, abrupt

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

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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.

bluff ² American  

[bluhf] / blʌf /

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.

   Synonyms:

   trick, mislead, hoodwink, delude, dupe, fool, deceive

2. to gain by a misleading display of knowledge, self-confidence, or boldness.

   He bluffed his way into the job.

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

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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.

idioms

1. call someone's bluff, to expose a person's deception, or challenge someone to carry out a threat.

   He always said he would quit, so we finally called his bluff.

2. bluff with rags, to display confidence in the strength of one's hand when that hand is weak, as a way to win by making an opponent withdraw from play.

bluff ¹ British  

/ blʌf /

noun

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

2. a clump of trees on the prairie; copse

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adjective

1. good-naturedly frank and hearty

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

bluff ² British  

/ blʌf /

verb

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

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noun

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

2. to challenge someone to give proof of his claims

bluff More Idioms  

1. see call someone's bluff.

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Usage

What does bluff mean? Bluff describes someone or something that is blunt or frank in a good-natured way. Someone who talks in a bluff manner says things directly but not hurtfully. A bluff is a cliff or hill with a tall face on one side. Bluffs often border a river or ocean because they get their shape from erosion caused by the natural flow of water. To bluff is to mislead by showing strength or confidence. People bluff to make themselves seem more powerful, larger, or of more authority than those being bluffed. A bluff is an act of bluffing. Example: The cabin was built along the bluff, but erosion is making it sink down the hill.

Related Words

See blunt.

Other Word Forms

• bluffable adjective
• bluffer noun
• bluffly adverb
• bluffness noun
• unbluffable adjective
• unbluffed adjective

Etymology

Origin of bluff¹

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

Origin of bluff²

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”

Explanation

Bluff can mean a high cliff, or it can describe a person who is abrupt in manner. The most common usage of bluff is as a verb meaning to pretend. If you bluff at cards, you are pretending to have a better hand than you do. Many a good crime story ends with a bluff—"I've already contacted the police and they're on their way," the detective will say when that is not at all the case. The expression "calling your bluff" comes from poker, where you "call" a game to see someone's actual cards. Calling someone's bluff means forcing them to admit the truth.

Example Sentences

The Benchleys already moved their home back from the bluff once.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Even accounting for bluster, bluff, and negotiation tactics, it’s an extraordinary statement from any world leader, let alone a U.S. president, to make.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

Or it could be some combination of bluff and wishful thinking.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

I walk past Meredith’s building on the bluff a few times a week.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026

I said stupidly, hoping she wouldn’t call my bluff.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Related Words

• cliff
• crag
• hill
• promontory
• ridge