bluff

1 of 4

adjective

ˈbləf

: having a broad flattened front

a ship with bluff bows

: rising steeply with a broad flat or rounded front

the bluff banks of the river

: good-naturedly frank and outspoken

a bluff, easygoing fellow

bluffly adverb

bluffness noun

bluff

2 of 4

noun (1)

: a high steep bank : cliff

stood on the bluffs overlooking the ocean

bluff

3 of 4

verb

bluffed; bluffing; bluffs

transitive verb

: to deter or frighten by pretense or a mere show of strength

bluffed them into surrendering

: deceive

bluff her way in without a ticket

: feign

The catcher bluffed a throw to first.

card games : to deceive (an opponent) by a bold bet on an inferior hand

was bluffed out of a winning hand

intransitive verb

: to bluff someone : act deceptively

You can tell when he is bluffing.

bluffer noun

bluff

4 of 4

noun (2)

: a false threat or claim intended to deter or deceive someone : an act or instance of bluffing (see bluff entry 3)

Having … nothing to support his pretensions he decided to put up a bluff.

Sherwood Anderson

His boss called his bluff.

: the practice of bluffing

The agreement had been reached, after weeks of bluff and haggle …

Time

: one who bluffs

Synonyms

Adjective

abrupt
blunt
brusque
brusk
crusty
curt
downright
short
short-spoken
snippy
unceremonious

Noun (1)

barranca
barranco
cliff
crag
escarpment
palisade
precipice
scar
scarp

Verb

bamboozle
beguile
buffalo
burn
catch
con
cozen
deceive
delude
dupe
fake out
fool
gaff
gammon
gull
have
have on [chiefly British]
hoax
hoodwink
hornswoggle
humbug
juggle
misguide
misinform
mislead
snooker
snow
spoof
string along
suck in
sucker
take in
trick

See all Synonyms & Antonyms

Kids Definition

bluff 1 of 4

adjective

ˈbləf

: rising steeply with a broad front

a bluff shoreline

: frank and outspoken in a rough but good-natured way

bluff

2 of 4

noun

: a high steep bank : cliff

bluff

3 of 4

verb

bluffed; bluffing

: to deceive or frighten by pretending to have more strength or confidence than is really true

bluff

4 of 4

noun

: an act or instance of pretending to have more strength, confidence, or ability than is really true

bluff 1 of 3

adjective

as in blunt

being or characterized by direct, brief, and potentially rude speech or manner he's a bluff but good-hearted teacher

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

blunt
abrupt
short
gruff
curt
rude
outspoken
brusque
downright
crass
plain
brusk
unceremonious
crusty
frank
honest
short-spoken
rough
straightforward
snippy
direct
vulgar
straight-out
open
disrespectful
reserved
candid
forthright
earnest
artless
plainspoken
impolite
tactless
discourteous
snappish
foursquare
point-blank
coarse
inconsiderate
laconic
reticent
impertinent
undiplomatic
insensitive
closemouthed
crude
sincere
free-spoken
low
terse
uncouth
brief
tight-lipped

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

diplomatic
civil
polite
suave
circuitous
gracious
smooth
politic
tactful
courteous
mealymouthed
talkative
considerate
voluble
loquacious
verbose
genteel
gallant
polished
cultivated
refined
prolix
courtly
long-winded

bluff

2 of 3

noun

as in cliff

a steep wall of rock, earth, or ice fossils embedded in a stone bluff that date from the Jurassic period

Synonyms & Similar Words

cliff
escarpment
palisade
crag
precipice
scarp
barranca
scar
butte
embankment
hogback
barranco
cuesta
tor
declivity
pitch
bulwark
drop-off

bluff

3 of 3

verb

as in to fool

to cause to believe what is untrue I bluffed the interviewer into believing that I could really speak French and thus would be the perfect person to serve in the newspaper's Paris bureau

Synonyms & Similar Words

fool
trick
deceive
gull
sucker
tease
hoax
gaff
cheat
mislead
con
hoodwink
buffalo
kid
delude
dupe
snow
bamboozle
humbug
suck in
gammon
spoof
snooker
misinform
hornswoggle
catch
beguile
cozen
string along
sting
juggle
fake out
swindle
lead one up the garden path
burn
lead one down the garden path
misguide
have on
pull one's leg
have
euchre
take in
pull the wool over one's eyes
rook
do a number on
stick
flimflam
defraud
hustle
put on
diddle
fleece
mulct
chisel
shortchange
skin
bleed
squeeze

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

expose
unmask
undeceive
reveal
tell
debunk
uncover
show up
divulge
disclose
uncloak
unveil
disillusion
disabuse
disenchant

as in to pretend

to present a false appearance of the basketball player bluffed a shot, then passed instead

Synonyms & Similar Words

pretend
simulate
assume
sham
feign
act
fake
affect
dissemble
make believe
pose
counterfeit
put on
forge
conceal
feint
pass (for)
masquerade
play
dissimulate
camouflage
profess
imitate
playact
impersonate
disguise
mask
let on
malinger

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of bluff are blunt, brusque, crusty, curt, and gruff. While all these words mean "abrupt and unceremonious in speech and manner," bluff connotes good-natured outspokenness and unconventionality.

a bluff manner

The meanings of blunt and bluff largely overlap; however, blunt suggests directness of expression in disregard of others' feelings.

a blunt appraisal

While the synonyms brusque and bluff are close in meaning, brusque applies to a sharpness or ungraciousness.

a brusque response

Although the words crusty and bluff have much in common, crusty suggests a harsh or surly manner sometimes concealing an inner kindliness.

a crusty exterior

The words curt and bluff can be used in similar contexts, but curt implies disconcerting shortness or rude conciseness.

a curt command

In some situations, the words gruff and bluff are roughly equivalent. However, gruff suggests a hoarse or husky speech which may imply bad temper but more often implies embarrassment or shyness.

puts on a gruff pose

单词	bluff
释义	bluff 1 of 4 adjective ˈbləf 1 a : having a broad flattened front a ship with bluff bows b : rising steeply with a broad flat or rounded front the bluff banks of the river 2 : good-naturedly frank and outspoken a bluff, easygoing fellow bluffly adverb bluffness noun bluff 2 of 4 noun (1) : a high steep bank : cliff stood on the bluffs overlooking the ocean bluff 3 of 4 verb bluffed; bluffing; bluffs transitive verb 1 a : to deter or frighten by pretense or a mere show of strength bluffed them into surrendering b : deceive bluff her way in without a ticket c : feign The catcher bluffed a throw to first. 2 card games : to deceive (an opponent) by a bold bet on an inferior hand was bluffed out of a winning hand intransitive verb : to bluff someone : act deceptively You can tell when he is bluffing. bluffer noun bluff 4 of 4 noun (2) 1 a : a false threat or claim intended to deter or deceive someone : an act or instance of bluffing (see bluff entry 3) Having … nothing to support his pretensions he decided to put up a bluff. Sherwood Anderson His boss called his bluff. b : the practice of bluffing The agreement had been reached, after weeks of bluff and haggle … Time 2 : one who bluffs Synonyms Adjective abrupt blunt brusque brusk crusty curt downright short short-spoken snippy unceremonious Noun (1) barranca barranco cliff crag escarpment palisade precipice scar scarp Verb bamboozle beguile buffalo burn catch con cozen deceive delude dupe fake out fool gaff gammon gull have have on [chiefly British] hoax hoodwink hornswoggle humbug juggle misguide misinform mislead snooker snow spoof string along suck in sucker take in trick See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Adjective he's a bluff but good-hearted teacher Verb She says someone else has made her a higher offer, but I think she's bluffing. Don't listen to his threats—he's just bluffing you. I bluffed my way through the interview. Word History Etymology Adjective and Noun (1) obsolete Dutch blaf flat; akin to Middle Low German blaff smooth Verb and Noun (2) probably from Dutch bluffen to boast, play a kind of card game First Known Use Adjective 1627, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Noun (1) 1666, in the meaning defined above Verb 1791, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a Noun (2) 1845, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Phrases Containing bluff call one's bluff bluff one's way call someone's bluff call one's bluff bluff one's way call someone's bluff Kids Definition bluff 1 of 4 adjective ˈbləf 1 : rising steeply with a broad front a bluff shoreline 2 : frank and outspoken in a rough but good-natured way bluff 2 of 4 noun : a high steep bank : cliff bluff 3 of 4 verb bluffed; bluffing : to deceive or frighten by pretending to have more strength or confidence than is really true bluff 4 of 4 noun : an act or instance of pretending to have more strength, confidence, or ability than is really true Geographical Definition Bluff geographical name ˈbləf town in southern New Zealand Note: Bluff serves as the port for the city of Invercargill. bluff 1 of 3 adjective as in blunt being or characterized by direct, brief, and potentially rude speech or manner he's a bluff but good-hearted teacher Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance blunt abrupt short gruff curt rude outspoken brusque downright crass plain brusk unceremonious crusty frank honest short-spoken rough straightforward snippy direct vulgar straight-out open disrespectful reserved candid forthright earnest artless plainspoken impolite tactless discourteous snappish foursquare point-blank coarse inconsiderate laconic reticent impertinent undiplomatic insensitive closemouthed crude sincere free-spoken low terse uncouth brief tight-lipped Antonyms & Near Antonyms diplomatic civil polite suave circuitous gracious smooth politic tactful courteous mealymouthed talkative considerate voluble loquacious verbose genteel gallant polished cultivated refined prolix courtly long-winded See More bluff 2 of 3 noun as in cliff a steep wall of rock, earth, or ice fossils embedded in a stone bluff that date from the Jurassic period Synonyms & Similar Words cliff escarpment palisade crag precipice scarp barranca scar butte embankment hogback barranco cuesta tor declivity pitch bulwark drop-off bluff 3 of 3 verb 1 as in to fool to cause to believe what is untrue I bluffed the interviewer into believing that I could really speak French and thus would be the perfect person to serve in the newspaper's Paris bureau Synonyms & Similar Words fool trick deceive gull sucker tease hoax gaff cheat mislead con hoodwink buffalo kid delude dupe snow bamboozle humbug suck in gammon spoof snooker misinform hornswoggle catch beguile cozen string along sting juggle fake out swindle lead one up the garden path burn lead one down the garden path misguide have on pull one's leg have euchre take in pull the wool over one's eyes rook do a number on stick flimflam defraud hustle put on diddle fleece mulct chisel shortchange skin bleed squeeze Antonyms & Near Antonyms expose unmask undeceive reveal tell debunk uncover show up divulge disclose uncloak unveil disillusion disabuse disenchant See More 2 as in to pretend to present a false appearance of the basketball player bluffed a shot, then passed instead Synonyms & Similar Words pretend simulate assume sham feign act fake affect dissemble make believe pose counterfeit put on forge conceal feint pass (for) masquerade play dissimulate camouflage profess imitate playact impersonate disguise mask let on malinger Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of bluff are blunt, brusque, crusty, curt, and gruff. While all these words mean "abrupt and unceremonious in speech and manner," bluff connotes good-natured outspokenness and unconventionality. a bluff manner The meanings of blunt and bluff largely overlap; however, blunt suggests directness of expression in disregard of others' feelings. a blunt appraisal While the synonyms brusque and bluff are close in meaning, brusque applies to a sharpness or ungraciousness. a brusque response Although the words crusty and bluff have much in common, crusty suggests a harsh or surly manner sometimes concealing an inner kindliness. a crusty exterior The words curt and bluff can be used in similar contexts, but curt implies disconcerting shortness or rude conciseness. a curt command In some situations, the words gruff and bluff are roughly equivalent. However, gruff suggests a hoarse or husky speech which may imply bad temper but more often implies embarrassment or shyness. puts on a gruff pose
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bluff

adjective

noun (1)

verb

noun (2)

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing bluff

Kids Definition

adjective

noun

verb

noun

Geographical Definition

geographical name

adjective

noun

verb

Synonym Chooser