bluffing

American  

[bluhf-ing] / ˈblʌf ɪŋ /

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.

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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.

Other Word Forms

• unbluffing
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of bluffing

First recorded in 1845–50; bluff ² ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses; bluff ² ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective sense

Example Sentences

Those who remain alive might well be bluffing, projecting resolve even if they would privately prefer to sue for peace.

From Slate • Mar. 26, 2026

Mehdi, a 58-year-old salesman believes the opposite, saying that "the Americans are bluffing" and that "the negotiations will be 100% successful".

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

Armed only with a lamp, he managed to scare off the men by bluffing that he had a gun, causing them to flee the scene empty-handed.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026

Anyone who confidently predicts its outcome is bluffing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025

I started easing my hand down into my pocket, to try bluffing . . . and one of them snatched open the door.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Related Words

• corrupt
• crooked
• deceitful
• deceptive
• false
• fraudulent
• misleading
• shady
• sneaky
• underhanded
• unfair
• unprincipled
• unscrupulous
• untrustworthy