bluster

[bluhs-ter]

See more synonyms for bluster on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to roar and be tumultuous, as wind.
to be loud, noisy, or swaggering; utter loud, empty menaces or protests: He blusters about revenge but does nothing.

verb (used with object)

to force or accomplish by blustering: He blustered his way through the crowd.

noun

boisterous noise and violence: the bluster of the streets.
noisy, empty threats or protests; inflated talk: bluff and bluster.

Origin of bluster

1520–30; perhaps < Low German blustern, blüstern to blow violently; compare Old Norse blāstr blowing, hissing

Related formsblus·ter·er, nounblus·ter·ing·ly, adverbblus·ter·y, blus·ter·ous, adjectiveblus·ter·ous·ly, adverbout·blus·ter, verb (used with object)un·blus·ter·ous, adjectiveun·blus·ter·ous·ly, adverb

Synonyms

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2. rant, brag, boast, gloat. 3. threaten, storm, bully.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for blustery

Contemporary Examples

Middleton's navy MaxMara jacket and Orla Kiely skirt, however, were no match for the blustery weather.
Ann Demeulemeester to Exit Namesake Label; Kate Middleton Pulls a Marilyn Monroe
The Fashion Beast Team
November 20, 2013
By turns bossy, blustery, and self-deprecating, Frida insinuates herself into every aspect of the place.
Caught in Her Mind: Fiona McFarlane’s ‘The Night Guest’
Andrea Walker
October 7, 2013
A blustery man I met when I was young, a painter, came up with a sentence he liked to say because he believed it was true.
Constructive Criticism: Reviewing the Idea of Reviewing
Ben Greenman
May 20, 2013
And Winpisinger was a piece of work: a blustery, belligerent, union militant.
What Was Big Labor?
David Frum
June 7, 2012
Joo delivered a fairly specific, but blustery, private proposal from the North Koreans.
The Bush Administration’s Secret Link to North Korea
Aram Roston, Tara McKelvey
February 7, 2012

Historical Examples

Its climate, except for a few months of summer, is raw and blustery.
Hymns and Hymnwriters of Denmark
Jens Christian Aaberg
The next night was a dirty one—no rain to speak of, but dark and blustery.
The Hero of Garside School
J. Harwood Panting
When he reached Cincinnati it was snowing, a windy, blustery snow.
Jennie Gerhardt
Theodore Dreiser
A fine, calm day, though cold, had succeeded the blustery one.
Ned Wilding's Disappearance
Allen Chapman
And like a puff of wholesome, blustery wind the doctor was off.
Heart of the West
O. Henry

British Dictionary definitions for blustery

bluster

verb

to speak or say loudly or boastfully
to act in a bullying way
(tr, foll by into) to force or attempt to force (a person) into doing something by behaving thus
(intr) (of the wind) to be noisy or gusty

noun

boisterous talk or action; swagger
empty threats or protests
a strong wind; gale

Derived Formsblusterer, nounblustering, noun, adjectiveblusteringly or blusterously, adverbblustery or blusterous, adjective

Word Origin

C15: probably from Middle Low German blüsteren to storm, blow violently

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for blustery

adj.

1707, from bluster (n.) + -y (2). Blustering in this sense is recorded from 1510s.

bluster

v.

late 14c., from a Low German source, e.g. Middle Low German blüstren "to blow violently," East Frisian blüstern "to bluster" (see blow (v.1)). Related: Blustered; blustering.

bluster

n.

1580s, from bluster (v.).

bluster

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Synonyms

Related Words

Examples from the Web for blustery

Contemporary Examples

Middleton's navy MaxMara jacket and Orla Kiely skirt, however, were no match for the blustery weather.

By turns bossy, blustery, and self-deprecating, Frida insinuates herself into every aspect of the place.

A blustery man I met when I was young, a painter, came up with a sentence he liked to say because he believed it was true.

And Winpisinger was a piece of work: a blustery, belligerent, union militant.

Joo delivered a fairly specific, but blustery, private proposal from the North Koreans.

Historical Examples

Its climate, except for a few months of summer, is raw and blustery.

The next night was a dirty one—no rain to speak of, but dark and blustery.

When he reached Cincinnati it was snowing, a windy, blustery snow.

A fine, calm day, though cold, had succeeded the blustery one.

And like a puff of wholesome, blustery wind the doctor was off.

bluster

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for blustery

adj.

bluster

v.

bluster

n.

Origin of bluster