Bluff, bluffing, bluffer
Written by Lilian Ndongmo. ESL Teacher
To bluff means to say or do something to deceive, impress or intimidate others.
The word bluff is commonly used as a verb and a noun. It can also be used as an adjective.
Examples:
1. A man held twenty people hostage at a bank with a toy gun. When he was arrested, he said it was just a bluff.
2. Because he didn’t study, Leonard bluffed his way through the exams.
3. Martha said she could run faster than Usain Bolt, but I think she’s just bluffing.
Idiom with bluff: Call someone’s bluff
To call someone’s bluff means to challenge someone to show proof of what he/she is claiming.
Examples:
1. Martha said that she could run faster than Usain Bolt. Usain decided to call her bluff and challenged her to a race.
2. When Pedro claimed he could eat two kilograms of jalapeño peppers in 10 minutes, his friends decided to call his bluff. They brought him two kilograms of jalapeño peppers and asked him to eat.
A person who bluffs is a bluffer.