What does bluff mean?

Definitions for bluff
blʌfbluff

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word bluff.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. bluffnoun

    a high steep bank (usually formed by river erosion)

  2. bluffnoun

    pretense that your position is stronger than it really is

    "his bluff succeeded in getting him accepted"

  3. bluff, four flushadjective

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

  4. bluff, bold, sheeradjective

    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"

  5. bluffverb

    bluntly direct and outspoken but good-natured

    "a bluff but pleasant manner"; "a bluff and rugged natural leader"

  6. bluff, bluff outverb

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

  7. bluffverb

    frighten someone by pretending to be stronger than one really is

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Bluffadjective

    Big; surly; blustering.

    Like those whom stature did to crowns prefer,
    Black-brow’d and bluff, like ’s Jupiter. Dryden.

ChatGPT

  1. bluff

    A bluff can have two main definitions: 1) As a geographical feature, a bluff refers to a steep cliff or bank overlooking a body of water, or an expanse of lower lying land. 2) In terms of behaviour, a bluff refers to an act of deception or false display of confidence, typically used in games or strategic situations to trick or mislead someone into believing something other than the truth. This is commonly used in poker where players pretend to have better cards than they actually do.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Bluffadjective

    having a broad, flattened front; as, the bluff bows of a ship

  2. Bluffadjective

    rising steeply with a flat or rounded front

  3. Bluffadjective

    surly; churlish; gruff; rough

  4. Bluffadjective

    abrupt; roughly frank; unceremonious; blunt; brusque; as, a bluff answer; a bluff manner of talking; a bluff sea captain

  5. Bluffnoun

    a high, steep bank, as by a river or the sea, or beside a ravine or plain; a cliff with a broad face

  6. Bluffnoun

    an act of bluffing; an expression of self-confidence for the purpose of intimidation; braggadocio; as, that is only bluff, or a bluff

  7. Bluffnoun

    a game at cards; poker

  8. Bluffverb

    to deter (an opponent) from taking the risk of betting on his hand of cards, as the bluffer does by betting heavily on his own hand although it may be of less value

  9. Bluffverb

    to frighten or deter from accomplishing a purpose by making a show of confidence in one's strength or resources; as, he bluffed me off

  10. Bluffverb

    to act as in the game of bluff

Wikidata

  1. Bluff

    Bluff is a town and seaport in the Southland region, on the southern coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the southern-most town in New Zealand and, despite Slope Point being further to the south, is colloquially used to refer to the southern extremity of the country. According to the 2006 census, the usually resident population was 1,850, a decrease of 85 since 2001. The Bluff area, while itself not settled by Māori, was one of the earliest areas of New Zealand where a European presence became established. The first ship known to have entered the harbour was the Perseverance in 1813, in search of flax trading possibilities, with the first European settlers arriving in 1823/1824. This is the foundation for the claim that this makes Bluff the oldest permanent European settlement in the country. However the missionary settlement at Kerikeri was both earlier and larger and the town is now larger than that of Bluff. The town was officially called Campbelltown in 1856, became a borough in 1878, and was renamed Bluff in 1917.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Bluff

    bluf, adj. blustering: rough and hearty in manners: outspoken: steep.—n. a high steep bank overlooking the sea or a river: the act of bluffing at cards, as in poker—hence any kind of boastful swagger intended to impose upon another: (slang) an excuse.—adjs. Bluff′-bowed, having broad and flat bows, as a ship; Bluff′-head′ed, applied to a ship having her stem too straight up.—adv. Bluff′ly.—n. Bluff′ness. [Prob. Dut.]

Dictionary of Nautical Terms

  1. bluff

    An abrupt high land, projecting almost perpendicularly into the sea, and presenting a bold front, rather rounded than cliffy in outline, as with the headland.

Surnames Frequency by Census Records

  1. BLUFF

    According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Bluff is ranked #124548 in terms of the most common surnames in America.

    The Bluff surname appeared 138 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Bluff.

    83.3% or 115 total occurrences were White.
    10.8% or 15 total occurrences were American Indian or Alaskan Native.

Matched Categories

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How to pronounce bluff?

How to say bluff in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of bluff in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of bluff in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of bluff in a Sentence

  1. Eric Angely:

    David Pottier said of United States. Thepandemic has wreaked havoc across the world, infecting 6.6 million people, killing over 391,000 and devastating economies.It poses a particular threat to the elderly like the surviving D-Day veterans who are in their late nineties or older. It has also affected the younger generations who turn out every year to mark the occasion. Most have been barred from traveling to the windswept coasts of American Normandy. In this photo taken on Thursday, June 4, 2020, two people stop to look at an information board at Omaha Beach in Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer, American Normandy, France. In sharp contrast to the 75th anniversary of D-Day, this year's 76th will be one of the loneliest remembrances ever, as the coronavirus pandemic is keeping nearly everyone from traveling. ( AP Photo/Virginia Mayo) Some 160,000 soldiers made the perilous crossing from England that day in atrocious conditions, storming dunes which they knew were heavily defended by German troops determined to hold their positions. Somehow, they succeeded. Yet they left a trail of thousands of casualties who have been mourned for generations since. Last year stood out, with U.S. President Donald Trump joining his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron at the American cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach. A smattering of veterans were honored with the highest accolades. All across the beaches of American Normandy tens of thousands came from across the globe to pay their respects to the dead and laud the surviving soldiers. The acrid smell of wartime-era jeep exhaust fumes and the rumble of old tanks filled the air as parades of vintages vehicles went from village to village. The tiny roads between the dunes, hedges and apple orchards were clogged for hours, if not days. FILE - In this Thursday, June 6, 2019 file photo, President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, French Donald Trump Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron, watch a flyover during a ceremony to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day at the American Normandy cemetery, in Colleville-sur-Mer, American Normandy, France. In sharp contrast to the 75th anniversary of D-Day, this year's 76th will be one of the loneliest remembrances ever, as the coronavirus pandemic is keeping nearly everyone from traveling. ( AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) Heading into the D-Day remembrance weekend this year, only the salty brine coming off the ocean on Omaha Beach hits the nostrils, the shrieks of seagulls pierce the ears and a sense of desolation hangs across the regions country roads. Last year this place was full with jeeps, trucks, people dressed up as soldiers.

  2. Pierre Moscovici:

    It's not a bluff, it's Plan A. There is no Plan B.

  3. President Biden:

    It's not a bluff, it's on the table.

  4. Lindsey Graham:

    Well it’s not going to be World War III – this is all a bluff.

  5. President Barack Obama:

    I think that he failed and I'm trying to call his bluff on this.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

bluff#10000#11750#100000

Translations for bluff

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

  • стръмен, открит, блъфирам, блъфиране, безцеремонен, откровен, отвесен, груб, блъф, отвесен брягBulgarian
  • blafovatCzech
  • BluffGerman
  • blufo, blufiEsperanto
  • petate, farolSpanish
  • بلوفPersian
  • jyrkkä, jäyhä, harhautus, jyrkänne, bluffaus, tylppä, hämätä, bluffata, bluffi, hämäysFinnish
  • blufferFrench
  • धोखाHindi
  • menggertakIndonesian
  • scoglieraItalian
  • ಬ್ಲಫ್Kannada
  • алдаKyrgyz
  • harundineoLatin
  • blefuotiLithuanian
  • bluffenDutch
  • blefe, falésia, blefarPortuguese
  • откровенный, бесцеремонный, обрывистый, прямой, блефовать, открытый, блеф, обрыв, отвесный берег, грубый, отвесный, утёс, резкийRussian
  • blefirati, pretvarjanje, se pretvarjati, pečina, blefiranjeSlovene
  • burdus, bluff, rättfram, bluffaSwedish
  • முரட்டுத்தனமானTamil
  • కొండపైనTelugu
  • ป้านThai
  • blöf, blöf yapmakTurkish
  • 虛張聲勢Chinese

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"bluff." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 15 Feb. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/bluff>.

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