/ blʌf; NAmE / verb , noun , adjective
■ verb
to try to make sb believe that you will do sth that you do not really intend to do, or that you know sth that you do not really know :
[ v ]
I don't think he'll shoot—I think he's just bluffing.
[also vn ]
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PHRASAL VERBS
- bluff sb into doing sth
- bluff it out
- bluff your way in / out / through | bluff your way into / out of / through sth
■ noun
1.
[ U , C ] an attempt to trick sb by making them believe that you will do sth when you really have no intention of doing it, or that you know sth when you do not, in fact, know it :
It was just a game of bluff.
He said he would resign if he didn't get more money, but it was only a bluff.
—see also double bluff
2.
[ C ] a steep cliff or slope, especially by the sea or a river
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IDIOMS
see call verb
■ adjective
( of people or their manner ) very direct and cheerful, with good intentions, although not always very polite :
Beneath his bluff exterior he was a sensitive man.
••
WORD ORIGIN
verb and noun sense 1 late 17th cent. (originally in the sense blindfold, trick ): from Dutch bluffen brag, or bluf bragging. The current sense (originally US, mid 19th cent.) originally referred to bluffing in the game of poker.
adjective early 18th cent. ( surly, abrupt in manner ): figurative use of bluff steep cliff or slope . The current positive connotation dates from the early 19th cent.
noun sense 2 early 17th cent. (as an adjective, originally in nautical use): of unknown origin.