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bluff

UK/blʊf/ US/blʌf/ fairly common slang us
noun (3) adjective (2) verb (2)

noun

1.
2.

pretense that your position is stronger than it really is

  • “his bluff succeeded in getting him accepted”
3.

the act of bluffing in poker; deception by a false show of confidence in the strength of your cards

Synonyms

adjective

1.

very steep; having a prominent and almost vertical front

  • “a bluff headland”
  • “where the bold chalk cliffs of England rise”
  • “a sheer descent of rock”
Synonyms
Similar
2.

bluntly direct and outspoken but good-natured

  • “a bluff but pleasant manner”
  • “a bluff and rugged natural leader”
Similar

verb

1.

deceive an opponent by a bold bet on an inferior hand with the result that the opponent withdraws a winning hand

Synonyms
2.

frighten someone by pretending to be stronger than one really is

Origin

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”).

Phrases

  • all bluff and bluster
  • at first bluff
  • blind man's bluff
  • bluff catcher
  • bluff charge
  • bluff out Terms derived from bluff (verb)
  • call someone's bluff
  • Council Bluffs
  • DeValls Bluff
  • double bluff
  • Georgian Bluffs
  • Ocean Bluff

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.