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bluff
1[bluhf]
adjective
good-naturedly direct, blunt, or frank; heartily outspoken.
a big, bluff, generous man.
Synonyms: , , , , , ,Antonyms: , ,presenting a bold and nearly perpendicular front, as a coastline.
a bluff, precipitous headland.
Synonyms: ,Nautical.Ìý(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.Ìýa 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: , , , , , ,to gain by a misleading display of knowledge, self-confidence, or boldness.
He bluffed his way into the job.
Poker, Bridge.Ìýto 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.Ìýto 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/ ²ú±ôÊŒ´Ú /
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/ ²ú±ôÊŒ´Ú /
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
to challenge someone to give proof of his claims
Other 51³Ô¹Ï Forms
- bluffly adverb
- bluffness noun
- bluffable adjective
- bluffer noun
- unbluffable adjective
- unbluffed adjective
- ˈ²ú±ô³Ü´Ú´Ú²Ô±ð²õ²õ noun
- ˈ²ú±ô³Ü´Ú´Ú±ô²â adverb
- ˈ²ú±ô³Ü´Ú´Ú±ð°ù noun
51³Ô¹Ï History and Origins
Origin of bluff1
Origin of bluff2
51³Ô¹Ï History and Origins
Origin of bluff1
Origin of bluff2
Idioms and Phrases
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.
bluff with rags, 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.
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
No sooner does Weiss climb a bluff and whip out his binoculars than he is surrounded by “four goons†with Glocks tucked into their shorts.
If you’re at the Santa Monica Pier, just head up above the bluffs, which are at about 100 feet above sea level.
The California Coastal Commission approved emergency construction last month after several sections of the rail, which lie below bluffs, were deemed unstable and at immediate risk of landslide and coastal erosion.
He speaks in threats, bluffs and declarations, and when he gets hopped up, his hair stands on its end.
Yet when it comes to tariffs, he has also openly called Trump’s bluff.
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Related 51³Ô¹Ïs
- cliffÌý
- cragÌý
- hillÌý
- promontoryÌý
- ridgeÌý
When To Use
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.
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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