bluff

Meaning

Noun

1. An act of bluffing; a false expression of the strength of one’s position in order to intimidate or deceive; braggadocio.
2. An attempt to represent oneself as holding a stronger hand than one actually does.
3. The card game poker.
4. One who bluffs; a bluffer.
5. (slang) Pretense, excuse.

Verb

1. To make a bluff; to give the impression that one’s hand is stronger than it is.
2. To frighten, deter, or deceive with a false show of strength or confidence; to give a false impression of strength or temerity in order to intimidate or gain some advantage.
3. To take advantage by bluffing.
4. To give false information intentionally; to lie; to deceive

Adj

1. Having a broad, flattened front.
2. Rising steeply with a flat or rounded front.
3. Surly; churlish; gruff; rough.
4. Roughly frank and hearty in one's manners.

Verb

To fluff, puff or swell up.

Synonyms

cliff

deceive

trick

precipice

bluster

steep

cheat

hoax

headland

swindle

dupe

bold

deception

abrupt

hoodwink

bamboozle

blunt

bluff out

four flush

sheer

show off

brusque

subterfuge

outspoken

fraud

curt

deceit

escarpment

con

deceiver

threaten

perpendicular

terrorize

snow

❄️

intimidate

rock

🪨

crag

bilk

swagger

scarp

force

foreland

free-spoken

front

gambit

gimmick

gouge

gross

gruff

gull

gyp

hard-hitting

humbug

impersonate

impersonation

impose

intransigent

jerky

jockey

juggle

large

lie

lubberly

lumpish

lumpy

menace

mystification

ness

offhand

peremptory

plumb

plump

pretence

pretend

pretense

promontory

pursy

rampart

red herring

rook

rough-and-ready

rugged

sham

shameless

sharp

shave

shelving

shortchange

showing off

show-off

splay

spoof

stall

stalling

stark

stern

strain

stringent

stubbed

swag

swaggering

thick

thickset

throw

trickery

ultra

vaunt

welch

wheedle

wide

jiggery-pokery

pose as

deceiving an enemy

show of courage

steep bank

exert one’s strength

cry sour grapes

whistle in the dark

pretend to be tough

sidehill

be deceitful

play the braggart

downward-sloping

overbearing speech

cliffed coast

overhanging bank

clogwyn

act

airs

artifice

assume

attitude

bear up

beefy

bells and whistles

big

blind

blocky

boast

bold-faced

bouncing

brag

brazen

brief

brink

broad

burly

cave

cavern

chisel

circumvent

clumpy

clumsy

coarse

coerce

compel

crags

crass

double-cross

edge

fake

feign

fib

finagle

flossing

fool

Pronounced as (IPA)

/blʌf/

Etymology

Probably from Dutch bluffen (“to brag”), from Middle Dutch bluffen (“to make something swell; to bluff”); or from the Dutch noun bluf (“bragging”). Related to German verblüffen (“to stump, perplex”).