bluster

1 of 2

verb

blus·​ter ˈblə-stər 

blustered; blustering ˈblə-st(ə-)riŋ 

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

1

: 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

blusterer

ˈblə-stər-ər 

noun

bluster

2 of 2

noun

1

: a violent boisterous blowing

… the strong breeze driving them was setting up a bluster on the water.

—Rose Thurburn

2

: violent commotion

They do their work without bluster or ostentation.

—Stanley Walker

3

: loudly boastful or threatening speech

growing tired of his macho bluster

blusterous

ˈblə-st(ə-)rəs 

adjective

blustery

ˈblə-st(ə-)rē 

adjective

Synonyms

Verb

• fulminate
• huff
• rant
• rave
• spout

Noun

• bombast
• brag
• braggadocio
• bull [slang]
• cockalorum
• fanfaronade
• gas
• gasconade
• grandiloquence
• hot air
• magniloquence
• rant
• rodomontade
• rhodomontade

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 Web

Verb

The new songs are thick but plush, intimidating but inviting, blustering but unhurried. —Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2024

Despite the blustering nationalism of Nikola Gruevski, Macedonia’s prime minister, the small and weak country is relatively easy to pressure. —Edward P. Joseph, Foreign Affairs, 26 June 2014

Noun

Despite his bluster, Putin has not shown a willingness to truly constrain his decision making and continually exhibits great creativity in escalating the war in Ukraine by other means, such as involving North Korean troops. —Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024

Though Mey personally sympathizes with Columbina, a down-to-earth female stock character, Mey associates Joshie with Il Capitano, the epitome of masculine bluster, whose bragging the other characters see through easily. —Daniel Bromfield, The Mercury News, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English blustren, probably from Middle Low German blüsteren

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

bluster

1 of 2 verb

blus·​ter ˈbləs-tər 

blustered; blustering -t(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to blow violently and noisily

2

: to talk or act in a noisy boastful way

blusterer

-tər-ər 

noun

bluster

2 of 2 noun

1

: a violent noise or commotion

2

: loudly boastful or threatening speech

blustery

-t(ə-)rē 

adjective