Showing results for "bluffing"

• present participle of bluff.

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

Related Words

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