bluff

1 of 4

adjective

ˈbləf 

1

a

: having a broad flattened front

a ship with bluff bows

b

: rising steeply with a broad flat or rounded front

the bluff banks of the river

2

: good-naturedly frank and outspoken

a bluff, easygoing fellow

bluffly adverb

bluffness noun

bluff

2 of 4

noun (1)

: a high steep bank : cliff

stood on the bluffs overlooking the ocean

bluff

3 of 4

verb

bluffed; bluffing; bluffs

transitive verb

1

a

: to deter or frighten by pretense or a mere show of strength

bluffed them into surrendering

b

: deceive

bluff her way in without a ticket

c

: feign

The catcher bluffed a throw to first.

2

card games : to deceive (an opponent) by a bold bet on an inferior hand

was bluffed out of a winning hand

intransitive verb

: to bluff someone : act deceptively

You can tell when he is bluffing.

bluffer noun

bluff

4 of 4

noun (2)

1

a

: a false threat or claim intended to deter or deceive someone : an act or instance of bluffing (see bluff entry 3)

Having … nothing to support his pretensions he decided to put up a bluff.

—Sherwood Anderson

His boss called his bluff.

b

: the practice of bluffing

The agreement had been reached, after weeks of bluff and haggle …

—Time

2

: one who bluffs

Synonyms

Adjective

• abrupt
• blunt
• brusque
• brusk
• crusty
• curt
• downright
• short
• short-spoken
• snippy
• unceremonious

Noun (1)

• barranca
• barranco
• cliff
• crag
• escarpment
• palisade
• precipice
• scar
• scarp

Verb

• bamboozle
• beguile
• buffalo
• burn
• catch
• con
• cozen
• deceive
• delude
• dupe
• fake out
• fool
• gaff
• gammon
• gull
• have
• have on [chiefly British]
• hoax
• hoodwink
• hornswoggle
• humbug
• juggle
• misguide
• misinform
• mislead
• snooker
• snow
• spoof
• string along
• suck in
• sucker
• take in
• trick

Choose the Right Synonym for bluff

bluff, blunt, brusque, curt, crusty, gruff mean abrupt and unceremonious in speech and manner.

bluff connotes good-natured outspokenness and unconventionality.

a bluff manner

blunt suggests directness of expression in disregard of others' feelings.

a blunt appraisal

brusque applies to a sharpness or ungraciousness.

a brusque response

curt implies disconcerting shortness or rude conciseness.

a curt command

crusty suggests a harsh or surly manner sometimes concealing an inner kindliness.

a crusty exterior

gruff suggests a hoarse or husky speech which may imply bad temper but more often implies embarrassment or shyness.

puts on a gruff pose

Examples of bluff in a Sentence

Adjective

he's a bluff but good-hearted teacher

Noun (1)

fossils embedded in a stone bluff that date from the Jurassic period

Verb

She says someone else has made her a higher offer, but I think she's bluffing.

Don't listen to his threats—he's just bluffing you.

I bluffed my way through the interview.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

One day in 2010, an e-mail from Steve Wentzel, the Zimbabwean tycoon, arrived in the in-box of one of South Pole’s founders—a tall, bluff German man named Christian Dannecker. —Heidi Blake, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023

Though the Explorer majors much more on practicality, somehow Ford has managed to turn a fairly bluff front-end styling and generally boxy silhouette familiar to properly sensible family SUV into an attractive design. —WIRED, 21 Mar. 2023

Verb

The octopus’ position on the board is concealed, playing cards to bluff about their location, and sneaking around the board trying to grab its food. —James Palmer, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Dec. 2024

To win at world class poker, a player needs both extraordinary analytical skills and the ability to bluff and detect bluffing. —Jim Euchner, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

Noun

The main home on a large bluff overlooks the Sulphur River and the approximate 2,800 tillable acres and the 400 acres of pasture ideal for grazing livestock. —Alexis Simmerman, Austin American-Statesman, 17 Dec. 2024

But Wall Street is wagering that Trump’s tough talk is a bluff ahead of a more limited crackdown that won’t uproot the restaurant industry’s immigrant-heavy workforce. —Waylon Cunningham, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun (1)

obsolete Dutch blaf flat; akin to Middle Low German blaff smooth

Verb and Noun (2)

probably from Dutch bluffen to boast, play a kind of card game

First Known Use

Adjective

1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (1)

1666, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1791, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (2)

1845, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing bluff

• bluff one's way
• call one's bluff
• call someone's bluff

Kids Definition

bluff

1 of 4 adjective

ˈbləf 

1

: rising steeply with a broad front

a bluff coastline

2

: frank and outspoken in a good-natured manner

bluffly adverb

bluffness noun

bluff

2 of 4 noun

: a high steep bank : cliff

bluff

3 of 4 verb

: to deceive or frighten by pretending to have strength or confidence that one does not really have

bluffer noun

bluff

4 of 4 noun

1

a

: an act or instance of bluffing

b

: the practice of bluffing

2

: one who bluffs

Etymology

Adjective

from an obsolete Dutch word blaf "flat"

Verb

probably from Dutch bluffen "to boast"

Geographical Definition

Bluff

geographical name

ˈbləf 

town in southern New Zealand

Note: Bluff serves as the port for the city of Invercargill.