Bluff
Contents
English
Noun
Bluff (plural Bluffs)- An act of bluffing; an expression of self-confidence for the purpose of intimidation; braggadocio; as, that is only bluff, or a bluff.
- (poker) An attempt to represent yourself as holding a stronger hand than you do.
- A high, steep bank, as by a river or the sea, or beside a ravine or plain; a cliff with a broad face.
- (Canadian Prairies) A small wood or stand of trees, typically poplar or willow.
Verb
Bluff (third-person singular simple present Bluffs, present participle Bluffing, simple past and past participle Bluffed)
- To make a bluff.
Adjective
Bluff (comparative bluffer, superlative bluffest)
- Having a broad, flattened front; as, the bluff bows of a ship.
- Rising steeply with a flat or rounded front.
- Surly; churlish; gruff; rough.
- Abrupt; roughly frank; unceremonious; blunt; brusque; as, a bluff answer; a bluff manner of talking; a bluff sea captain.
Adjectives for Bluff
- (cliff) barren; wind-swept; somber; bare; grassgrown; bold; low; hazy; fine; sand; scarped; rock-reared.
- (lie) unadulterated; superb; magnificent; brazen; bold; preposterous.
- (speech or manner) deceptive; frightening; hearty; imposing; offhanded; pretentious; surly; cruel.
Verbs for Bluff
- (speech or manner) attempt—; bet against—; boast—; call—; carry out—; get away with—; maintain—blinds; —deceives; —deters; —excuses —frightens ; —hoodwinks; —induces ; —influences ; —serves.
Adverbs for Bluff
- (lie) churlishly; rudely; captiously; discourteously; disrespectfully; ill-manneredly; impudently; uncivilly; mischievously; moodily; morosely; perversely; insultingly; impertinently; bitterly; bluntly; boorishly; coolly; grimly; harshly; peevishly; pertly; ruggedly; naturally; characteristically; unpardonably; inexcusably; unpleasantly; playfully; teasingly; tormentingly; nonsensically; disagreeably; unnecessarily; sarcastically; ironically; sourly; unceremoniously; tartly; sullenly; vulgarly; unintentionally; deliberately; indefensibly.
- (speech or manner) unnecessarily; superbly; brazenly; preposterously; boldly; magnificently; characteristically; inevitably; grossly; incredibly;
unpardonably; faithlessly.
Synonyms for Bluff
gruff, rough, bold, inconsiderate, impolite, brazen, brusque, rude, unmannerly, discourteous, blustering, coarse, uncivil, blunt, outspoken, abrupt, open, frank, daring.
Antonyms for Bluff
polite, refined, genial, kindly, courteous, urbane, reserved, gracious, civil, suave, agreeable, pleasant.
Derived terms
Thesaurus
dulled, dullish, dupe, edgeless, escarpment, explicit, facade, face, facy, faired, fake, faker, fakery, faking, false air, false front, false show, falsity, fanfaron, fanfaronade, fast deal, feign, feigning, feint, fetch, ficelle, flip, flippant, flurry, fluster, fool, forestall, forthright, four-flush, four-flushing, fourflusher, frank, frankhearted, fraud, free, free-speaking, free-spoken, free-tongued, fresh, friendly, frighten off, front, fuss, gally, gambit, gammon, gasconade, genuine, get around, gilt, gimmick, gloss, good-natured, googly, gratuitous, gruff, guileless, gull, harsh, headland, headlong, heart-to-heart, hearty, hector, hectorer, hectoring, hoax, hocus-pocus, honest, hoodwink, hornswaggle, hot air, humbug, humbuggery, impersonator, impertinent, impostor, imposture, impudent, ingenu, ingenuous, innocent, intimidate, intimidation, joke, joker, juggle, kid, laconic, let down, let on, let on like, make a pretense, make as if, make believe, make like, malapert, malingerer, masquerade, meretriciousness, mislead, mock, mountebank, naive, nervy, no-nonsense, obtuse, open, openhearted, ostentation, out-herod Herod, outmaneuver, outreach, outsmart, outspoken, outward show, outwit, overreach, palisade, palisades, pass, pert, phony, pigeon, plain, plain-spoken, plainspoken, play, play a part, play one false, play possum, playact, playacting, ploy, plunging, pointless, pose, poser, poseur, posing, posture, precipice, precipitous, pretend, pretender, pretense, pretension, pretext, profess, promontory, puffery, put on, put something over, put to flight, quack, quacksalver, quackster, rage, rant, ranter, rapid, rave, raver, representation, ringer, rodomontade, roister, roisterer, rollick, rough, round, rounded, rude, ruse, saltimbanco, sassy, saucy, scar, scare away, scarp, scheme, scurvy trick, seeming, semblance, severe, sham, shammer, sharp, sheer, shift, short, show, side, simple, simplehearted, simpleminded, simulacrum, simulate, simulation, sincere, single-hearted, single-minded, slang, sleight, sleight of hand, sleight-of-hand trick, smart, smart-alecky, smart-ass, smoothed, snippety, snippy, snow, speciousness, splutter, sputter, steep, storm, straight, straight-out, straightforward, stratagem, string along, subterfuge, surly, swagger, swaggerer, swashbuckle, swashbuckler, swashbucklery, swasher, tactless, take in, tart, terse, to the point, transparent, trick, truculent, trustful, trusting, two-time, uncalled-for, unchecked, unconstrained, unedged, unequivocal, unguarded, unpointed, unreserved, unrestrained, unsharp, unsharpened, unsophisticated, unsuspicious, unwary, vapor, vaporer, varnish, vertical, wall, wile, window dressing, wise-ass, abrupt, act, act a part, acting, affable, affect, affectation, aggressive, appearance, approachable, artful dodge, artifice, artless, assume, attitudinizing, bag of tricks, bamboozle, barefaced, bearish, beastly, beguile, betray, biggety, blagueur, blatherskite, blind, bluff off, bluffer, bluffing, blunt, blunt-edged, blunt-ended, blunt-pointed, blunted, bluntish, bluster, bluster and bluff, blusterer, blustering, boastfulness, boasting, bold, bombast, born yesterday, bosey, bounce, brag, braggart, bragging, brash, bravado, bravo, breakneck, brief, broad, brusque, bucko, bullshit, bully, bullyboy, bullying, bustle, cajole, candid, catch, cavalier, charlatan, cheat on, cheating, cheeky, chicanery, childlike, chouse, churlish, chutzpadik, circumvent, cliff, cocky, color, coloring, confiding, conjure, contemptuous, counterfeit, cover up, cozen, crag, crude, crusty, curt, curve, curve-ball, deceive, deception, delude, delusion, derisive, design, device, diddle, direct, dirty deal, dirty trick, disguise, disrespectful, dissemblance, dissemble, dissembling, dissimulate, dissimulation, dodge, double-cross, downright, dull, dull-edged, dull-pointed,
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
- From Dutch bluffen (“brag”) or bluf (“bragging”).
- Related to Middle Low German blaff, "smooth".
