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bluff
1[ bluhf ]
adjective
- 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
- presenting a bold and nearly perpendicular front, as a coastline:
a bluff, precipitous headland.
- Nautical. (of the bow of a vessel) having a full, blunt form.
noun
- a cliff, headland, or hill with a broad, steep face.
- North Dakota, Wisconsin, and the Canadian Prairie Provinces. a clump or grove of trees on a prairie or other generally treeless area.
bluff
2[ bluhf ]
verb (used with object)
- 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
- to gain by a misleading display of knowledge, self-confidence, or boldness:
He bluffed his way into the job.
- Poker, Bridge. to deceive (an opponent) by a show of confidence in the strength of one's cards.
verb (used without object)
- to mislead someone by presenting a bold, strong, or self-confident front:
They threatened to sue, but they were only bluffing.
- Poker, Bridge. to deceive an opponent by a show of confidence in the strength of one's cards.
noun
- 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.
- a person who misleads by presenting knowledge, self-confidence, or boldness; bluffer:
That big bluff doesn't have a nickel to his name.
bluff
1/ blʌf /
noun
- a steep promontory, bank, or cliff, esp one formed by river erosion on the outside bend of a meander
- a clump of trees on the prairie; copse
adjective
- good-naturedly frank and hearty
- (of a bank, cliff, etc) presenting a steep broad face
bluff
2/ blʌf /
verb
- to pretend to be confident about an uncertain issue or to have undisclosed resources, in order to influence or deter (someone)
noun
- deliberate deception intended to create the impression of a stronger position or greater resources than one actually has
- call someone's bluffcall someone's bluff to challenge someone to give proof of his claims
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Derived Forms
- ˈbluffly, adverb
- ˈbluffness, noun
- ˈbluffer, noun
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Other Words From
- bluffly adverb
- bluffness noun
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Word History and Origins
Origin of bluff1
Origin of bluff2
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Word History and Origins
Origin of bluff1
Origin of bluff2
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Idioms and Phrases
- bluff with rags, Poker. 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.
- 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.
More idioms and phrases containing bluff
see call someone's bluff .Discover More
Synonym Study
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Example Sentences
The bluff has happened so many times and it still hasn’t been banned that I now don’t think it’s going to happen.
The house is balanced on a granite bluff, looking out to sea.
Blakeslee was inspired by publications of an archaeologist who excavated at the same bluff site more than 60 years ago and suspected it had been a central part of Etzanoa.
Hike the two-mile Headland Trail to the top of a bluff overlooking the Zuni Mountains and the volcanic craters of El Malpais National Monument.
In a recent test of bluffing in poker, computer face recognition failed miserably.
Ten days later, when the dust had settled, MSF President Joanne Liu called their bluff.
It is not easy work, but it calls the bluff of those who would say “we have to take scripture seriously.”
We end the tour on a bluff overlooking a mine in the distance.
He was bluff, inspirational to the men, a brilliant tactician.
On a bluff overlooking the sea, he pitched a tent and lived there for the next year in near total seclusion.
“Mr. Pickwick, I thank you most heartily for all your kindness to my son,” said old Mr. Winkle, in a bluff straightforward way.
At the offer of a smaller sum the Count would possibly bluff.
There is also a conspicuous high bluff on the principal island, which appears to have been seen by the French.
By and by, a straggling birch bluff rose blackly across their way, but nobody swung wide.
It is situated in a wonderfully picturesque position, on a rocky bluff overlooking the River Wye.
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Related Words
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More About Bluff
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.
Where does bluff come from?
The first records of bluff meaning “blunt” or “cliff” come from the 1620s. It is thought to come from the Middle Dutch blaf, meaning “broad” or “flat,” which also describes the shape of the cliffside. The first records of bluff meaning “to mislead” come from the 1660s. It is thought to come from the Low German bluffen, meaning “to frighten.” Bluffing is often done to try to intimidate or frighten someone.
One of the most common uses of bluff is in the card game poker and other table games that involve betting. In poker, you place a bet, often in line with the confidence you have that your hand (the cards you’re holding) will win the game. If you bet higher than your confidence in your cards, this is a bluff. Bluffing can convince the other players that they will lose that game and force them to fold (withdraw from the game). Just as a bluff makes someone seem larger or stronger, a poker bluff makes a hand of cards seem more valuable.
Did you know … ?
How is bluff used in real life?
Bluff is often used to refer to intentionally misleading statements.
Just saw a couple threaten their crying child with divorce to shut him up. Call their bluff little man 😂
— Tom Holland (@TomHolland1996) March 25, 2018
even though she doesn't believe in love, he's determined to call her bluff
— Andrea Russett – BUTTERFLY WINGS OUT NOW (@AndreaRussett) April 18, 2015
I get a kick out of calling your bluff when you testing my game 🏁
— Michael Thomas (@Cantguardmike) April 19, 2019
Try using bluff!
Is bluff used correctly in the following sentence?
I know you’re telling the truth, and I am calling your bluff.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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