bluster
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
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boisterous noise and violence.
the bluster of the streets.
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noisy, empty threats or protests; inflated talk.
bluff and bluster.
verb
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to speak or say loudly or boastfully
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to act in a bullying way
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to force or attempt to force (a person) into doing something by behaving thus
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(intr) (of the wind) to be noisy or gusty
noun
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boisterous talk or action; swagger
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empty threats or protests
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a strong wind; gale
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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blusterernoun
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blusteringnoun
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outblusterverb (used with object)
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blusterousadjective
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blusteryadjective
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blusteringlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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blustersimple
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blusterssimple
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have blusteredperfect
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has blusteredperfect
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am blusteringprogressive
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are blusteringprogressive
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is blusteringprogressive
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have been blusteringperfect progressive
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has been blusteringperfect progressive
Past
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blusteredsimple
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had blusteredperfect
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was blusteringprogressive
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were blusteringprogressive
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had been blusteringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of bluster
First recorded in 1520–30; perhaps from Low German blustern, blüstern “to blow violently”; compare Old Norse blāstr “blowing, hissing”
Explanation
If you tell the captain of the basketball team that you're going to beat him at a game of hoops even though you've never played, you're speaking with a lot of bluster or false confidence and bravado. Bluster can also mean a strong wind. On a blustery day, you'll see trees blowing and people holding onto their hats. When someone full of bluster is talking about how they can do something that you think they can't, they're blowing a lot of hot air in your direction. And coincidently, another name for that type of person is a blowhard.
Vocabulary lists containing bluster
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Before American rejected the proposal and Trump publicly shot down a potential deal, airline officials dismissed any merger as impossible to get past antitrust enforcers—and typical bluster from Kirby.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 25, 2026
The performances are all from the grip-and-grin school of acting: neat and precise with a minimum of bluster.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
They are lulled into a smug confidence that his threats will always be toothless bluster.
From Salon • Apr. 20, 2026
The renewed bluster could derail the market’s recovery.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 19, 2026
The Tilburys exit in a bluster of chatter.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
