n.

A steep headland, promontory, riverbank, or cliff.

adj., bluff·er, bluff·est.

1. Rough and blunt but not unkind in manner. See synonyms at gruff.
2. Having a broad, steep front.

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

bluffly bluff'ly adv.
bluffness bluff'ness n.

ADVERTISEMENT

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. See honest/dishonest.

n

Definition: boast; deceit
Antonyms: honesty, reality, truth

v

Definition: deceive
Antonyms: come clean, reveal, tell truth

---

Origin: 1666

Bluff was a nautical term that underwent a sea change when it crossed the ocean to North America. English sailors had used bluff to refer to the front of a ship that was vertical instead of leaning out. They also used bluff for a coastline with a similar look, one that was "bold and almost perpendicular." Americans took the word ashore in Savannah, Georgia, and by 1666 were speaking there of bluff land, high land that rises steeply from its surroundings. Before long the second part of the phrase was dropped, and Americans in Georgia and South Carolina referred to high or steeply sloping river banks simply as bluffs. Eventually there were bluffs throughout English-speaking North America, sometimes even when there was no river.

Because bluffs were often covered with trees, both in the Southeast and the northern plains some Americans used bluff to mean an isolated clump of trees rather than the land. But from the more familiar meaning of bluff, that towering river bank, came a more significant American innovation. Since a bluff puts up a high imposing front, we said that someone or something that put on a show of intimidation was bluffing, a use attested as early as 1839. And we particularly applied that verb to the game of poker, where bluffing about the worth of one's hand is a fine art. Bluffing is so important to the poker player that the game itself was sometimes called bluff, also in the 1830s. For that matter, the word poker first entered the English language in the United States, borrowed from the French as long ago as 1834.

---

This term describes a strategy in which a player with a weak hand attempts to win by raising and forcing their opponents to fold. Bluffing essentially is an attempt at outwitting your opponents. This is what distinguishes poker from other pure gambling games such as roulette or craps in that it adds another dimension of skill to the game.

SoundPoker Says: Many are of the opinion that beginning players should not bluff but rather focus on staying out of trouble. It's great if you can do it successfully, but nothing is more embarrassing than being caught in a bluff.

See Also: Bluff Catcher, Check, Double Bluff, Fold, Hand, Raise, Scare Card, Weak

IN BRIEF: A high, steep cliff. Also: To fool people into thinking you know something that you don't.

The crew of the ship saw the flag on the bluff.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
1.
n. - bluffnummer
v. tr. - bluffe, narre
v. intr. - bluffe, snyde ved list

idioms:

• call someone's bluff    afsløre nogens bluffnummer, ikke lade sig bluffe

2.
adj. - ligefrem

3.
n. - vagabonds bylt
adj. - stejl

Nederlands (Dutch)
bluf, steil voorgebergte, bluffen, overdonderen, openhartig, plat/rond en steil, bluffer

Français (French)
1.
n. - bluff, battage, bluffeur
v. tr. - donner le change à, bluffer (aux cartes), bluffer (qn)
v. intr. - faire du bluff ou de l'épate, faire cassade (aux cartes)

idioms:

• call someone's bluff    prendre qn au mot (sachant qu'il bluffe)

2.
adj. - carré (une personne, des manières)

3.
n. - falaise avancée, cap, promontoire
adj. - à pic, escarpé, (Naut) renflé de l'avant (une proue)

Deutsch (German)
1.
n. - Bluff, Täuschung, Irreführung
v. - bluffen, täuschen, irremachen

idioms:

• call someone's bluff    es darauf ankommen lassen

2.
adj. - gutmütig, von rauher Gutmütigkeit, rauh aber herzlich

3.
n. - Kliff, Steilhang, Steilküste
adj. - steil, breit, schroff

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - μπλοφάρω, εξαπατώ
n. - μπλόφα, παραπλανητικό τέχνασμα, (γεωγρ.) απόκρημνο ακρωτήρι ή κάβος, βραχώδης ακτή

idioms:

• call someone's bluff    βλέπω την μπλόφα κάποιου, προκαλώ κάποιον να πραγματοποιήσει την απειλή του

Italiano (Italian)
ingannare, bluffare, promontorio, bravata, vanteria

idioms:

• call someone's bluff    vedere un bluff

Português (Portuguese)
v. - enganar, intimidar
n. - logro (m), blefe (m)

idioms:

• call someone's bluff    desafiar quem está blefando

Русский (Russian)
блефовать, блеф, утес, прямодушный

idioms:

• call someone's bluff    заставить кого-либо раскрыть карты

Español (Spanish)
1.
n. - fanfarronada, bluf
v. tr. - fanfarronear, presumir
v. intr. - jactarse

idioms:

• call someone's bluff    desenmascarar a un farsante

2.
adj. - rudo, francote

3.
n. - acantilado
adj. - escarpado

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - bluffa
n. - bluffmakare

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
1. 以假像欺骗, 愚弄, 吓唬, 虚张声势吓唬人, 虚张声势, 虚张声势者, 吓唬别人的人

idioms:

• call someone's bluff    诱使某人交底

2. 陡岸, 悬崖, 峭壁, 坦率的, 宽而垂直的, 粗率的, 壁立的, 陡峭的

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
1.
v. tr. - 以假像欺騙, 愚弄, 嚇唬
v. intr. - 虛張聲勢嚇唬人
n. - 虛張聲勢, 虛張聲勢者, 嚇唬, 嚇唬別人的人

idioms:

• call someone's bluff    誘使某人交底

2.
n. - 陡岸, 懸崖, 峭壁
adj. - 坦率的, 寬而垂直的, 粗率的, 壁立的, 陡峭的

한국어 (Korean)
1.
n. - 허세, 위협, 속임수
v. tr. - ~에게 허세를 부리다, ~에게 시키다, ~를 속이다
v. intr. - 허세를 부려서 남을 속이다

idioms:

• call someone's bluff    남의 끗 수를 공개 시키다, 남에게 도전하다

2.
adj. - 퉁명스러운, 솔직한

3.
n. - 절벽, 작은 숲
adj. - 절벽의, 둥그스름한

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 絶壁, はったり
adj. - ぶっきらぼうな, 率直な, 絶壁の
v. - はったりをかける

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) أوهم, احتال على, لم"بلف ", هدد بغير تنفيذ (الاسم) جرف عالي, منحدر, خدعه, تهديد أجوف‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮רמאות, בלוף‬
v. tr. - ‮רימה, בילף, היתעה‬
v. intr. - ‮העמיד פנים כבטוח בעצמו‬
adj. - ‮קשוח וגם לבבי, גלוי-לב, פשוט, עליז‬
n. - ‮שן-סלע, צוק‬
adj. - ‮בעל חזית רחבה ותלולה‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.