bluff

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• General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /blʌf/
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• Australian, New-Zealand: /blɐf/
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• Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• Northern-England: /blʊf/
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• rhymes with -ʌf
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• CMU ARPABET: B L AH1 F Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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Related to Middle Low German blaff (“smooth”).

Probably from Dutch bluffen (“to brag”), from Middle Dutch bluffen (“to make something swell; to bluff”); or from the Dutch noun bluf (“bragging”). Related to German verblüffen (“to stump, perplex”).

Possibly onomatopoeic, perhaps related to blow and puff.

165 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Finnish: tylppä — having a broad, flattened front
• Bulgarian: отвесен (otvesen) — rising steeply with a flat or rounded front
• Bulgarian: стръмен (strǎmen) — rising steeply with a flat or rounded front
• Finnish: jyrkkä — rising steeply with a flat or rounded front
• Russian: отве́сный (otvésnyj) — rising steeply with a flat or rounded front
• Russian: обры́вистый (obrývistyj) — rising steeply with a flat or rounded front
• Bulgarian: груб (grub) — surly; churlish; gruff; rough
• Bulgarian: безцеремонен (bezceremonen) — surly; churlish; gruff; rough
• Finnish: jäyhä — surly; churlish; gruff; rough
• Finnish: juro — surly; churlish; gruff; rough
• Russian: гру́бый (grúbyj) — surly; churlish; gruff; rough
• Russian: ре́зкий (rézkij) — surly; churlish; gruff; rough
• Russian: бесцеремо́нный (besceremónnyj) — surly; churlish; gruff; rough
• Bulgarian: открит (otkrit) — abrupt; roughly frank; unceremonious; blunt; brusque
• Bulgarian: откровен (otkroven) — abrupt; roughly frank; unceremonious; blunt; brusque
• Finnish: jäyhä — abrupt; roughly frank; unceremonious; blunt; brusque
• German: poltrig — abrupt; roughly frank; unceremonious; blunt; brusque
• German: polterig — abrupt; roughly frank; unceremonious; blunt; brusque
• Russian: прямо́й (prjamój) — abrupt; roughly frank; unceremonious; blunt; brusque
• Russian: откры́тый (otkrýtyj) — abrupt; roughly frank; unceremonious; blunt; brusque
• Russian: открове́нный (otkrovénnyj) — abrupt; roughly frank; unceremonious; blunt; brusque
• Swedish: rättfram — abrupt; roughly frank; unceremonious; blunt; brusque
• Swedish: burdus — abrupt; roughly frank; unceremonious; blunt; brusque
• Armenian: բլեֆ (blef) — act of bluffing
• Bulgarian: блъф (blǎf) — act of bluffing
• Bulgarian: блъфиране (blǎfirane) — act of bluffing
• Chinese Mandarin: 虚张声势 (xūzhāngshēngshì) — act of bluffing
• Dutch: bluffen — act of bluffing
• Esperanto: blufo — act of bluffing
• Finnish: harhautus — act of bluffing
• Finnish: hämäys — act of bluffing
• Finnish: bluffi — act of bluffing
• Finnish: bluffaus — act of bluffing
• Galician: andrómena — act of bluffing
• Galician: alburgada — act of bluffing
• Galician: algaruxada — act of bluffing
• Galician: algueiro — act of bluffing
• Galician: padumada — act of bluffing
• Galician: grila — act of bluffing
• Galician: grola — act of bluffing
• Georgian: ბლეფი (blepi) — act of bluffing
• German: Bluffen — act of bluffing
• Greek: μπλόφα (blófa) — act of bluffing
• Hebrew: בלוף (blof) — act of bluffing
• Hungarian: blöff — act of bluffing
• Italian: bluff — act of bluffing
• Macedonian: блеф (blef) — act of bluffing
• Persian: بلوف (bluf) — act of bluffing
• Polish: blef — act of bluffing
• Polish: bluff — act of bluffing
• Portuguese: bluff — act of bluffing
• Portuguese: blefe — act of bluffing
• Russian: блеф (blef) — act of bluffing
• Slovene: blefiranje — act of bluffing
• Slovene: pretvarjanje — act of bluffing
• Spanish: farol — act of bluffing
• Spanish: bluf — act of bluffing
• Spanish: blof — act of bluffing
• Spanish: bluff — act of bluffing
• Spanish: finta — act of bluffing
• Spanish: blofe — act of bluffing
• Spanish: amague — act of bluffing
• Swedish: bluff — act of bluffing
• Tagalog: wikang palagwa — act of bluffing
• Tagalog: palipad-hangin — act of bluffing
• Tagalog: lastog — act of bluffing
• Tagalog: kalastugan — act of bluffing
• Turkish: blöf — act of bluffing
• Bulgarian: блъф (blǎf) — poker: attempt to represent yourself as holding a stronger hand than you do
• Chinese Mandarin: 偷雞 /偷鸡 (tōujī) — poker: attempt to represent yourself as holding a stronger hand than you do
• Chinese Mandarin: 詐唬 /诈唬 (zhàhǔ) — poker: attempt to represent yourself as holding a stronger hand than you do
• Esperanto: blufo — poker: attempt to represent yourself as holding a stronger hand than you do
• Finnish: bluffi — poker: attempt to represent yourself as holding a stronger hand than you do
• German: Bluff — poker: attempt to represent yourself as holding a stronger hand than you do
• Polish: blef — poker: attempt to represent yourself as holding a stronger hand than you do
• Portuguese: bluff — poker: attempt to represent yourself as holding a stronger hand than you do
• Portuguese: blefe — poker: attempt to represent yourself as holding a stronger hand than you do
• Russian: блеф (blef) — poker: attempt to represent yourself as holding a stronger hand than you do
• Spanish: farol — poker: attempt to represent yourself as holding a stronger hand than you do
• Swedish: bluff — poker: attempt to represent yourself as holding a stronger hand than you do
• Turkish: blöf — poker: attempt to represent yourself as holding a stronger hand than you do
• Western Apache: chʼinágohíʼáá — high, steep bank
• Bulgarian: отвесен бряг (otvesen brjag) — high, steep bank
• Chinese Mandarin: 懸崖 /悬崖 (xuányá) — high, steep bank
• Chinese Mandarin: 陡岸 (dǒu àn) — high, steep bank
• Chinese Mandarin: 峭壁 (qiàobì) — high, steep bank
• Dutch: klip — high, steep bank
• Finnish: jyrkänne — high, steep bank
• French: falaise — high, steep bank
• Galician: esfragadoiro — high, steep bank
• Galician: barronca — high, steep bank
• Galician: calistoso — high, steep bank
• Galician: rivaneira — high, steep bank
• German: Steilufer — high, steep bank
• German: Felsufer — high, steep bank
• German: Klippe — high, steep bank
• German: Steilhang — high, steep bank
• German: Steilküste — high, steep bank
• Irish: leathaill — high, steep bank
• Italian: scogliera — high, steep bank
• Māori: matapari — high, steep bank
• Navajo: deezʼá — high, steep bank
• Portuguese: falésia — high, steep bank
• Portuguese: ribanceira — high, steep bank
• Portuguese: despenhadeiro — high, steep bank
• Portuguese: precipício — high, steep bank
• Russian: утёс (utjós) — high, steep bank
• Russian: обры́в (obrýv) — high, steep bank
• Russian: отве́сный бе́рег (otvésnyj béreg) — high, steep bank
• Slovene: pečina — high, steep bank
• Welsh: clogwyn — high, steep bank
• Welsh: dibyn — high, steep bank
• Bulgarian: блъфи́рам (blǎfíram) — to make a bluff
• Chinese Mandarin: 偷雞 /偷鸡 (tōujī) — to make a bluff
• Czech: blafovat — to make a bluff
• Dutch: bluffen — to make a bluff
• Esperanto: blufi — to make a bluff
• Finnish: hämätä — to make a bluff
• Finnish: bluffata — to make a bluff
• French: bluffer — to make a bluff
• Galician: fachendear — to make a bluff
• Galician: borrear — to make a bluff
• Galician: prantar — to make a bluff
• German: bluffen — to make a bluff
• German: markieren — to make a bluff
• Hungarian: blöfföl — to make a bluff
• Italian: bleffare — to make a bluff
• Italian: bluffare — to make a bluff
• Kyrgyz: алда (alda) — to make a bluff
• Lithuanian: blefuoti — to make a bluff
• Macedonian: блефира (blefira) — to make a bluff
• Persian: لافیدن (lâfidan) — to make a bluff
• Persian: توپ زدن (tup zadan) — to make a bluff
• Polish: blefować — to make a bluff
• Polish: zablefować — to make a bluff
• Portuguese: blefar — to make a bluff
• Russian: блефова́ть (blefovátʹ) — to make a bluff
• Slovene: blefirati — to make a bluff
• Slovene: se pretvarjati — to make a bluff
• Spanish: presumir — to make a bluff
• Spanish: alardear — to make a bluff
• Spanish: blufear — to make a bluff
• Spanish: blofear — to make a bluff
• Swedish: bluffa — to make a bluff
• Turkish: blöf yapmak — to make a bluff
• Ukrainian: блефува́ти (blefuváty) — to make a bluff
• Chinese Mandarin: 恫嚇 /恫吓 (dònghè) — to scare with a false show of strength
• Esperanto: blufi — to scare with a false show of strength
• Finnish: bluffata — to scare with a false show of strength
• German: bluffen — to scare with a false show of strength
• Hebrew: בִּלֵּף (billéf) — to scare with a false show of strength
• Italian: bluffare — to scare with a false show of strength
• Polish: blefować — to scare with a false show of strength
• Polish: zablefować — to scare with a false show of strength
• Polish: bluffować — to scare with a false show of strength
• Polish: zabluffować — to scare with a false show of strength
• Portuguese: enganar — to scare with a false show of strength
• Portuguese: iludir — to scare with a false show of strength
• Portuguese: ludibriar — to scare with a false show of strength
• Portuguese: blefar — to scare with a false show of strength
• Spanish: fintar — to scare with a false show of strength
• Spanish: fintear — to scare with a false show of strength
• Spanish: amagar — to scare with a false show of strength
• Finnish: paisua — to swell up
• German: aufplustern — to swell up