1
: a garment (such as a uniform) made of buff leather
2
: the state of being nude
sunbathing in the buff
3
a
: a moderate orange yellow
b
: a light to moderate yellow
4
: a device having a soft absorbent surface (as of cloth) by which polishing material is applied
5
[earlier buff an enthusiast about going to fires; perhaps from the buff overcoats worn by volunteer firefighters in New York City about 1820]
: fan, enthusiast
1
: of the color buff
2
or buffed
: having a physique enhanced by bodybuilding exercises
buffed; buffing; buffs
2
: to give a velvety surface to (leather)
Synonyms
Examples of buff in a Sentence
Noun
he's such a film buff that he owns over 3,000 movies
protected by a fully enclosed backyard, the couple would frequently sunbathe in the buff
Adjective
He's at the gym every day trying to get buff.
the buff body of an athlete
Verb
The floors are waxed and buffed every year.
She is going to the salon to get her nails buffed.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jd Shadel, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2024
For the seventh year in a row, data scientists and analytics buffs will be invited to test their mettle against each other in the league’s Big Data Bowl, powered by Amazon Web Services.
—Nicolas Vega, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2024
Guy Martin, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
Plus, Jake Kasdan explains why the movie's Santa, played by J. K. Simmons, had to be buff.
—EW.com, 25 Sep. 2024
Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Oct. 2024
Once a week, buff out any streaks or spatter marks for glistening views.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for buff 
Noun
Though the country is famous among train buffs for its speedy bullet trains, it’s also got the luxuriously slow Seven Stars by JR Kyushu, which gained a global fanbase after its launch in 2013.
—Jd Shadel, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2024
For the seventh year in a row, data scientists and analytics buffs will be invited to test their mettle against each other in the league’s Big Data Bowl, powered by Amazon Web Services.
—Nicolas Vega, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2024
Adjective
By contrast, and fortunately for us, sitting just to Monsieur Pinault’s left in this shot, is the ne plus ultra of global peacocks and not least, the most buff aging rocker there is, Lenny Kravitz, age 60.
—Guy Martin, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024
Plus, Jake Kasdan explains why the movie's Santa, played by J. K. Simmons, had to be buff.
—EW.com, 25 Sep. 2024
Verb
Use a soft cloth to apply the paste to the silver, and a clean cloth to buff the paste and tarnish away.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Oct. 2024
Once a week, buff out any streaks or spatter marks for glistening views.
—Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for buff
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'buff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near buff
Cite this Entry
“Buff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buff. Accessed 20 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
buff
1 of 3 noun1
: an orange yellow
2
: a device with a soft absorbent surface (as of cloth) for applying polishing material
3
: fan entry 3, enthusiast
a tennis buff
buff
2 of 3 adjective
: of the color buff
buff
3 of 3 verb
: to polish with or as if with a buff
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