1. (a.) Having a broad, flattened front; as, the bluff bows of a ship.

2. (a.) Rising steeply with a flat or rounded front.

3. (a.) Surly; churlish; gruff; rough.

4. (a.) Abrupt; roughly frank; unceremonious; blunt; brusque; as, a bluff answer; a bluff manner of talking; a bluff sea captain.

5. (n.) A high, steep bank, as by a river or the sea, or beside a ravine or plain; a cliff with a broad face.

6. (n.) An act of bluffing; an expression of self-confidence for the purpose of intimidation; braggadocio; as, that is only bluff, or a bluff.

7. (n.) A game at cards; poker.

8. (v. t.) To deter (an opponent) from taking the risk of betting on his hand of cards, as the bluffer does by betting heavily on his own hand although it may be of less value.

9. (v. t.) To frighten or deter from accomplishing a purpose by making a show of confidence in one's strength or resources; as, he bluffed me off.

10. (v. i.) To act as in the game of bluff.

Herod abrupt act act a part acting affable affect affectation aggressive appearance approachable artful dodge artifice artless assume attitudinizing bag of tricks bamboozle barefaced bearish beastly beguile betray biggety blagueur blatherskite blind bluff off bluffer bluffing blunt blunt-edged blunt-ended blunt-pointed blunted bluntish bluster bluster and bluff blusterer blustering boastfulness boasting bold bombast born yesterday bosey bounce brag braggart bragging brash bravado bravo breakneck brief broad brusque bucko bullshit bully bullyboy bullying bustle cajole candid catch cavalier charlatan cheat on cheating cheeky chicanery childlike chouse churlish chutzpadik circumvent cliff cocky color coloring confiding conjure contemptuous counterfeit cover up cozen crag crude crusty curt curve curve-ball deceive deception delude delusion derisive design device diddle direct dirty deal dirty trick disguise disrespectful dissemblance dissemble dissembling dissimulate dissimulation dodge double-cross downright dull dull-edged dull-pointed dulled dullish dupe edgeless escarpment explicit facade face facy faired fake faker fakery faking false air false front false show falsity fanfaron fanfaronade fast deal feign feigning feint fetch ficelle flip flippant flurry fluster fool forestall forthright four-flush four-flushing fourflusher frank frankhearted fraud free free-speaking free-spoken free-tongued fresh friendly frighten off front fuss gally gambit gammon gasconade genuine get around gilt gimmick gloss good-natured googly gratuitous gruff guileless gull harsh headland headlong heart-to-heart hearty hector hectorer hectoring hoax hocus-pocus honest hoodwink hornswaggle hot air humbug humbuggery impersonator impertinent impostor imposture impudent ingenu ingenuous innocent intimidate intimidation joke joker juggle kid laconic let down let on let on like make a pretense make as if make believe make like malapert malingerer masquerade meretriciousness mislead mock mountebank naive nervy no-nonsense obtuse open openhearted ostentation out-herod Herod outmaneuver outreach outsmart outspoken outward show outwit overreach palisade palisades pass pert phony pigeon plain plain-spoken plainspoken play play a part play one false play possum playact