bluffing

[ bluhf-ing ]
See synonyms for: bluffingbluffings on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. the act of misleading someone by a display of strength, self-confidence, or the like: While the bluffing goes on at the negotiating table, the public, the striking workers, and the employer all lose.

  2. Poker, Bridge. the act of deceiving an opponent by a show of confidence in the strength of one’s cards: The digital version of the game falls short, because the bluffing needs that eye-to-eye contact, the smug and knowing smiles.

adjective
  1. deceiving or misleading someone by a display of strength or confidence: Determining whether one faces a serious or bluffing adversary constitutes a major challenge in the bargaining process.“Advertising budget” is a poker term for the amount of chips a bluffing player is willing to invest to deceive opponents.

Origin of bluffing

1
First recorded in 1845–50; bluff2 + -ing1 for the noun senses; bluff2 + -ing2 for the adjective sense

Other words from bluffing

  • un·bluff·ing, adjective

Words Nearby bluffing

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use bluffing in a sentence