bluffer

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A person who pretends to know something or to be in a stronger position than they really are.

   Grammar: Countable noun: a bluffer, the bluffer, bluffers.

   Patterns

   • a bluffer who ...
   • call someone's bluff

   He says he can speak five languages, but he's just a bluffer.

   The poker player was a skilled bluffer, so no one knew when he had a good hand.

   Don't be a bluffer in the interview; admit what you don't know.

2. 2nouncountableinformal

   In card games, a player who makes bold bets with weak cards to make others fold.

   Grammar: Countable noun, often used in poker contexts.

   Patterns

   • a bluffer at poker
   • a clever bluffer

   She's a dangerous bluffer at the poker table.

   The bluffer raised the bet, hoping everyone would fold.

Word forms

Common combinations

a skilled bluffer

He's a skilled bluffer who can keep a straight face.

call someone's bluff

I called his bluff and he admitted he didn't have the money.

just a bluffer

She's just a bluffer; she doesn't really know the answer.

Synonyms and how they differ

fake

A fake is a person or thing that is not genuine; a bluffer specifically pretends to have knowledge or strength.

fraud

A fraud is someone who deceives others for money or gain; a bluffer may just be boasting without serious harm.

Word family

bluff verb

To pretend to be stronger or more knowledgeable than you are.

bluff noun

An act of pretending to be in a stronger position.

Commonly confused: bluffer or buffer?

Practice

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