bluff

bluff ¹

 (blŭf)

v. bluffed, bluff·ing, bluffs

v.intr.

1. To engage in a false display of confidence or aggression in order to deceive or intimidate someone: The management debated if there would really be a strike or if the union was bluffing.

2. To make a display of aggression, as by charging or baring the teeth, as a means of intimidating another animal.

3. To try to mislead opponents in a card game by heavy betting on a poor hand or by little or no betting on a good one.

v.tr.

1. To deceive or intimidate (someone) by a false display of confidence or aggression.

2. To try to mislead (opponents) in a card game by heavy betting on a poor hand or by little or no betting on a good one.

3. To start but not carry out (an action) as a means of deceiving or intimidating another: The pitcher bluffed a throw to first base.

n.

The act or practice of bluffing.

Idiom:

bluff (one's) way

To deceive someone or accomplish something by making a false display.

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[Origin unknown.]

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bluff′a·ble adj.

bluff′er n.

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bluff ²

 (blŭf)

n.

A steep headland, promontory, riverbank, or cliff.

adj. bluff·er, bluff·est

1. Having or showing a rough and blunt but not unkind manner: "the great big bluff guests who told bawdy jokes and got up early to watch the sun rise" (Erin McGraw).

2. Having a broad, steep front: the boat's bluff bow.

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[Probably from obsolete Dutch blaf or Middle Low German blaff, broad.]

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bluff′ly adv.

bluff′ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

bluff

(blʌf)

vb

to pretend to be confident about an uncertain issue or to have undisclosed resources, in order to influence or deter (someone)

n

1. deliberate deception intended to create the impression of a stronger position or greater resources than one actually has

2. call someone's bluff to challenge someone to give proof of his claims

[C19: originally US poker-playing term, from Dutch bluffen to boast]

ˈbluffer n

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bluff

(blʌf)

n

1. (Physical Geography) a steep promontory, bank, or cliff, esp one formed by river erosion on the outside bend of a meander

2. Canadian a clump of trees on the prairie; copse

adj

3. good-naturedly frank and hearty

4. (Physical Geography) (of a bank, cliff, etc) presenting a steep broad face

[C17 (in the sense: nearly perpendicular): perhaps from Middle Dutch blaf broad]

ˈbluffly adv

ˈbluffness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

bluff¹

(blʌf)

adj. -er, -est,
n. adj.

1. good-naturedly direct, blunt, or frank; heartily outspoken.

2. presenting a bold and nearly perpendicular front: a bluff, precipitous headland.

n.

3. a cliff, headland, or hill with a broad, steep face.

4. Upper Midwest and Canada. a clump or grove of trees in a generally treeless area.

[1620–30]

bluff′ly, adv.

bluff′ness, n.

bluff²

(blʌf)
v.t.

1. to mislead or intimidate by a display of strength, self-confidence, or the like.

2. to achieve by bluffing: to bluff one's way into a job.

3. to deceive (an opponent in poker) by betting heavily on a weak hand.

v.i.

4. to put on a bold or self-confident front in order to mislead.

n.

5. an act or instance of bluffing.

6. a person who bluffs; bluffer.

Idioms:

call someone's bluff, to challenge someone to carry out a threat.

[1665–75]

bluff′a•ble, adj.

bluff′er, n.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

bluff

Past participle: bluffed
Gerund: bluffing

Imperative

bluff

bluff

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	bluff - a high steep bank (usually formed by river erosion) bank - a long ridge or pile; "a huge bank of earth"
	2.	bluff - pretense that your position is stronger than it really is; "his bluff succeeded in getting him accepted" dissembling, feigning, pretense, pretence - pretending with intention to deceive
	3.	bluff - the act of bluffing in poker; deception by a false show of confidence in the strength of your cards four flush dissimulation, deception, dissembling, deceit - the act of deceiving
Verb	1.	bluff - deceive an opponent by a bold bet on an inferior hand with the result that the opponent withdraws a winning hand bluff out card game, cards - a game played with playing cards move, go - have a turn; make one's move in a game; "Can I go now?"
	2.	bluff - frighten someone by pretending to be stronger than one really is affright, fright, frighten, scare - cause fear in; "The stranger who hangs around the building frightens me"; "Ghosts could never affright her"
Adj.	1.	bluff - 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" bold, sheer steep - having a sharp inclination; "the steep attic stairs"; "steep cliffs"
	2.	bluff - bluntly direct and outspoken but good-natured; "a bluff but pleasant manner"; "a bluff and rugged natural leader" direct - straightforward in means or manner or behavior or language or action; "a direct question"; "a direct response"; "a direct approach"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

bluff

¹

noun

1. deception, show, lie, fraud, fake, sham, pretence, deceit, bravado, bluster, humbug, subterfuge, feint, mere show The letter was a bluff.

verb

1. deceive, lie, trick, fool, pretend, cheat, con, fake, mislead, sham, dupe, feign, delude, humbug, bamboozle (informal), hoodwink, double-cross (informal), pull the wool over someone's eyes He tried to bluff his way through another test and failed it.

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bluff

²

noun

1. precipice, bank, peak, cliff, ridge, crag, escarpment, promontory, scarp a high bluff over the Congaree River

adjective

1. hearty, open, frank, blunt, sincere, outspoken, honest, downright, cordial, genial, affable, ebullient, jovial, plain-spoken, good-natured, unreserved, back-slapping a man with a bluff exterior
hearty sensitive, diplomatic, delicate, thoughtful, discreet, judicious, tactful

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

bluff

verb

To cause to accept what is false, especially by trickery or misrepresentation:

beguile, betray, cozen, deceive, delude, double-cross, dupe, fool, hoodwink, humbug, mislead, take in, trick.

Informal: bamboozle, have.

Slang: four-flush.

Idioms: lead astray, play false, pull the wool over someone's eyes, put something over on, take for a ride.

The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

يَخْدَعُخِدَاعخِدْعَةٌ، أُضلولَهصَريحٌ وَفَظ

blafblafováníblafovatblufblufovat

blufbluffebramfrijævnligefrem

Bluffbluffengutmütig

μπλόφαμπλοφάρω

fanfarronearfarolmarcarse un farol

bluffatabluffihämätähämäysharhautus

bluffbluffer

blefblefirati

blekking, platblekkja, platahispurslaus, hreinn og beinn

ingannopallonatapromontorio a piccoschiettoscogliera

虚勢虚勢を張る

엄포허세를 부리다

maldināšanamaldināttiešs

blufbluffen

bløffebløffmakerrealrett frambløff

blefzablefować

blefarblefeblufffazer bluff

блефблефоватьвводить в заблуждениеобманобрыв

bluf

blefiranjeblefirativaranjevarati

bluffbluffa

แกล้งตั้งใจทำการแกล้งตั้งใจทำบางสิ่ง

blöfblöf yapmakdobra dobraaçık sözlü

lừa gạtsự lừa gạt

以假象欺骗吹牛欺骗粗率的诈骗

bluff

¹ [blʌf]

A. ADJ

1. [cliff etc] → escarpado

2. [person] → franco, directo

B. N (Geog) → risco m, peñasco m

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bluff

² [blʌf]

A. N (= act of bluffing) → farol m, bluff m
to call sb's bluff → poner a algn en evidencia

B. VT (= deceive by pretending) → engañar, embaucar
to bluff it out by → salvar la situación haciendo creer que ...

C. VI → farolear, tirarse un farol (Sp)

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

bluff

[ˈblʌf]

vi (= pretend) → bluffer

n

(= pretence) → bluff m
It's just a bluff → C'est du bluff.
to call sb's bluff → mettre qn au pied du mur

(= cliff) → promontoire m, falaise f

adj (= forthright) [person] → bourru(e), direct(e); [exterior] → bourru(e)

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

bluff

¹

n (= headland) → Kliff nt; (inland) → Felsvorsprung m

adj → rau aber herzlich (inf); honesty, answer → aufrichtig

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bluff

²

vt → bluffen; he bluffed his way through it → er hat sich durchgeschummelt (inf)

vi → bluffen

n → Bluff m; to call somebody’s bluff → es darauf ankommen lassen; (= make prove) → jdn auf die Probe stellen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

bluff

¹ [blʌf] adj (person) → senza peli sulla lingua, brusco/a

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bluff

² [blʌf] n (cliff) → scogliera a picco

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bluff

³ [blʌf]

1. n → bluff m inv
to call sb's bluff → far mettere le carte in tavola a qn

2. vt to bluff it out → cavarsela bluffando

3. vi → bluffare

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

bluff¹

(blaf) adjective

rough, hearty and frank. a bluff and friendly manner. kortaf صَريحٌ وَفَظ откровен franco přímý, otevřený gutmütig bramfri; jævn; ligefrem ντόμπροςdirecto lihtne خشن و رک suorasukainen direct גַס אָבַל יָשַר וּלבָבִי बेतकल्लुफ nagao, grub nyers modorú (de egyenes) terus terang, menggertak hispurslaus, hreinn og beinn franco ぶっきら棒な 솔직한 tiesus, status tiešs suka berterus terang dan ramah rondborstigrett fram, barsk, djerv, real rubaszny باټی،لاپی وهل rude direct грубовато-добродушный otvorený odkrit srdačan burdus, hjärtlig, rättfram เป็นมิตรแต่โผงผาง açık sözlü, dobra dobra 粗率的 грубувато-прямий کھرا، صاف دل chất phác 粗率的

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bluff²

(blaf) verb

to try to deceive by pretending to have something that one does not have. He bluffed his way through the exam without actually knowing anything. bluf يَخْدَعُ подвеждам blefar blafovat, předstírat; prolhat se bluffen bluffe μπλοφάρω, κρύβω τις προθέσεις μου engañar a, echarse un farol bluffima لاف زدن؛ بلوف زدن hämätä bluffer לְרַמוֹת झांसा देना, बेवकूफ बनाना blefirati blöfföl mengecoh blekkja, plata bluffare はったりでだます 속이다 blefuoti maldināt tipu bluffenbløffeblefować لاپی وهل، باټی کول enganar a blufa блефовать predstierať blefirati blefirati bluffa แกล้งตั้งใจทำบางสิ่งเพื่อหลอกคนอื่น blöf yapmak 詐騙 блефувати دھوکا دینا lừa bịp 以假象欺骗，吹牛

noun

an act of bluffing. bluf خِدْعَةٌ، أُضلولَه заблуждаване blefe blafování, blaf der Bluff bluf μπλόφα, εξαπάτησηcamelo, farol bluff لاف؛ بلوف hämäys bluffשקר झांसा देने की क्रिया prijevara blöff gertakan blekking, plat bluff はったり 허세 blefas maldināšana menipu blufbløffblef باټی، لاپی engano cacialma блеф bluf blefiranje blefiranje bluff การแกล้งตั้งใจทำบางสิ่งเพื่อหลอกคนอื่น blöf 詐騙 блеф دھوکا ، فریب sự lừa gạt 欺骗，吹牛

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

bluff

→ خِدَاع, يَخْدَعُ bluf, blufovat bluf, bluffe Bluff, bluffen μπλόφα, μπλοφάρω fanfarronear, farol, marcarse un farol bluffata, bluffi bluff, bluffer blef, blefirati bluff, bluffare 虚勢, 虚勢を張る 엄포, 허세를 부리다 bluf, bluffen bløffe, bløffmaker blef, zablefować blefar, blefe, bluff, fazer bluff вводить в заблуждение, обман bluff, bluffa แกล้งตั้งใจทำ, การแกล้งตั้งใจทำบางสิ่ง blöf, blöf yapmak lừa gạt, sự lừa gạt 诈骗

Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009