Bluff1. (a.) Having a broad, flattened front; as, the bluff bows of a ship.
2. (a.) Rising steeply with a flat or rounded front.
3. (a.) Surly; churlish; gruff; rough.
4. (a.) Abrupt; roughly frank; unceremonious; blunt; brusque; as, a bluff answer; a bluff manner of talking; a bluff sea captain.
5. (n.) A high, steep bank, as by a river or the sea, or beside a ravine or plain; a cliff with a broad face.
6. (n.) An act of bluffing; an expression of self-confidence for the purpose of intimidation; braggadocio; as, that is only bluff, or a bluff.
7. (n.) A game at cards; poker.
8. (v. t.) To deter (an opponent) from taking the risk of betting on his hand of cards, as the bluffer does by betting heavily on his own hand although it may be of less value.
9. (v. t.) To frighten or deter from accomplishing a purpose by making a show of confidence in one's strength or resources; as, he bluffed me off.
10. (v. i.) To act as in the game of bluff.
Thesaurus Entries
Herod, abrupt, act, act a part, acting, affable, affect, affectation, aggressive, appearance, approachable, artful dodge, artifice, artless, assume, attitudinizing, bag of tricks, bamboozle, barefaced, bearish, beastly, beguile, betray, biggety, blagueur, blatherskite, blind, bluff off, bluffer, bluffing, blunt, blunt-edged, blunt-ended, blunt-pointed, blunted, bluntish, bluster, bluster and bluff, blusterer, blustering, boastfulness, boasting, bold, bombast, born yesterday, bosey, bounce, brag, braggart, bragging, brash, bravado, bravo, breakneck, brief, broad, brusque, bucko, bullshit, bully, bullyboy, bullying, bustle, cajole, candid, catch, cavalier, charlatan, cheat on, cheating, cheeky, chicanery, childlike, chouse, churlish, chutzpadik, circumvent, cliff, cocky, color, coloring, confiding, conjure, contemptuous, counterfeit, cover up, cozen, crag, crude, crusty, curt, curve, curve-ball, deceive, deception, delude, delusion, derisive, design, device, diddle, direct, dirty deal, dirty trick, disguise, disrespectful, dissemblance, dissemble, dissembling, dissimulate, dissimulation, dodge, double-cross, downright, dull, dull-edged, dull-pointed, dulled, dullish, dupe, edgeless, escarpment, explicit, facade, face, facy, faired, fake, faker, fakery, faking, false air, false front, false show, falsity, fanfaron, fanfaronade, fast deal, feign, feigning, feint, fetch, ficelle, flip, flippant, flurry, fluster, fool, forestall, forthright, four-flush, four-flushing, fourflusher, frank, frankhearted, fraud, free, free-speaking, free-spoken, free-tongued, fresh, friendly, frighten off, front, fuss, gally, gambit, gammon, gasconade, genuine, get around, gilt, gimmick, gloss, good-natured, googly, gratuitous, gruff, guileless, gull, harsh, headland, headlong, heart-to-heart, hearty, hector, hectorer, hectoring, hoax, hocus-pocus, honest, hoodwink, hornswaggle, hot air, humbug, humbuggery, impersonator, impertinent, impostor, imposture, impudent, ingenu, ingenuous, innocent, intimidate, intimidation, joke, joker, juggle, kid, laconic, let down, let on, let on like, make a pretense, make as if, make believe, make like, malapert, malingerer, masquerade, meretriciousness, mislead, mock, mountebank, naive, nervy, no-nonsense, obtuse, open, openhearted, ostentation, out-herod Herod, outmaneuver, outreach, outsmart, outspoken, outward show, outwit, overreach, palisade, palisades, pass, pert, phony, pigeon, plain, plain-spoken, plainspoken, play, play a part, play one false, play possum, playact