blustered; blustering
ˈblə-st(ə-)riŋ 
1
: to talk or act with noisy swaggering threats
brags and blusters but rarely does what he says he'll do
2
a
: to blow in stormy noisy gusts
a cold, blustering wind
b
: to be windy and boisterous
… when autumn blusters and the orchard rocks.—
Robert Browning
Robert Browning1
: to utter with noisy self-assertiveness
"I don't want to hear it!" he blustered.
2
: to drive or force by blustering
… trying to bluster us into the belief that they are much better than they look.—F. A. Swinnerton
F. A. Swinnerton1
: a violent boisterous blowing
… the strong breeze driving them was setting up a bluster on the water.—Rose Thurburn
Rose Thurburn2
: violent commotion
They do their work without bluster or ostentation.—Stanley Walker
Stanley Walker3
: loudly boastful or threatening speech
growing tired of his macho bluster
Synonyms
Examples of bluster in a Sentence
Verb
He brags and blusters, but he never really does what he says he'll do.
“I don't want to hear it!” he blustered.
The wind blustered through the valley.
Noun
We were all tired of his macho bluster.
all the bluster in the campaign speech was intended to hide a lack of specifics
Recent Examples on the WebMargaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2024
His strategy was not to answer the questions, but to deflect the questions and spin his own agenda supported by his talent for blustering and bullying.
—Dean Minnich, Baltimore Sun, 13 July 2024
Nicholas Lemann, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
But Musk, with his megaphone of almost 200 million followers on X and his penchant for bluster, has been particularly pugilistic, with a steady stream of missives on X and letters to Congress over the last week.
—Richard Nieva, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bluster 
Verb
Kenny, like the blustering patriarch of another aristocratic family with intelligent daughters, the Mitfords, was firmly of the opinion that formal education rendered young women unmarriageable.
—Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2024
His strategy was not to answer the questions, but to deflect the questions and spin his own agenda supported by his talent for blustering and bullying.
—Dean Minnich, Baltimore Sun, 13 July 2024
Noun
Also, underneath the bluster, threats, and theatrics, Trump is running on an economic program that would have been unimaginable coming from any previous Republican nominee, including him.
—Nicholas Lemann, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024
But Musk, with his megaphone of almost 200 million followers on X and his penchant for bluster, has been particularly pugilistic, with a steady stream of missives on X and letters to Congress over the last week.
—Richard Nieva, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bluster
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bluster.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Bluster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bluster. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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