bluff
noun · verb · adjective
Simple meaning
An try to represent oneself as holding a stronger hand than one actually does.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
bluhfIPA pronunciation (US)
blʌf
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
pokercountable or uncountable
An attempt to represent oneself as holding a stronger hand than one actually does.
“John's bet was a bluff: he bet without even so much as a pair.”
An act of bluffing; a false expression of the strength of one's position in order to intimidate; braggadocio.
“That is only bluff, or a bluff.”
One who bluffs; a bluffer.
A high, steep bank, for example by a river or the sea, or beside a ravine or plain; a cliff with a broad face.
verb
poker
To make a bluff; to give the impression that one's hand is stronger than it is.
“John bluffed by betting without even a pair.”
To fluff, puff or swell up.
adjective
Having a broad, flattened front.
“The bluff bows of a ship.”
Rising steeply with a flat or rounded front.
Surly; churlish; gruff; rough.
Roughly frank and hearty in one's manners.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: An act of bluffing; a false expression of the strength of one's position in order to intimidate; braggadocio.
Used this way, bluff is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“That is only bluff, or a bluff.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Attemptnoun
“John's bet was a bluff: he bet without even so much as a pair.”
Bluffingnoun
“That is only bluff, or a bluff.”
Makeverb
“John bluffed by betting without even a pair.”
Having a broad, flattened frontadjective
“The bluff bows of a ship.”
More ways to use bluff
- “His bluff succeeded in getting him accepted.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Deceive an opponent by a bold bet on an inferior hand with the result that the opponent withdraws a winning hand.
Ask to prove what someone is claiming.
A children's game in which a blindfolded player tries to catch and identify other players.
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Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API (CC BY-SA 3.0). Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.