Dictionary

bluster en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• (US) audio
• /ˈblʌs.tɚ/ (General-American)
• /ˈblʌs.tə/ (UK)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

From Middle English blusteren (“to wander about aimlessly”); however, apparently picking up the modern sense from Middle Low German blüstren (“to blow violently”; compare later Low German blustern, blistern). Related to blow, blast. Compare also Saterland Frisian bloasje (“to blow”), bruusje (“to bluster”).

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) Pompous, officious talk.
   • Private-equity nabobs bristle at being dubbed mere financiers. Piling debt onto companies’ balance-sheets is only a small part of what leveraged buy-outs are about, they insist. Improving the workings of the businesses they take over is just as core to their calling, if not more so. Much of their pleading is public-relations bluster. 2013 June 22, “Engineers of a different kind”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 70:
2. (countable, uncountable) A gust of wind.
3. (countable, uncountable) Fitful noise and violence.

Forms

Deriveds

blustersome · blusteration · blustrification · all bluff and bluster · outbluster

Synonyms

bombast (pompous talk)

Translations (55)

de Aufblasen (pompous, officious talk) · sco blouster (gust of wind) · gd bòst (pompous, officious talk) · cy balchder (pompous, officious talk) · cs chvástání (pompous, officious talk) · cy dadwrdd (fitful noise and violence) · no raseri (fitful noise and violence) · de Geschrei (fitful noise and violence) · mi pūrekereke (gust of wind) · mi whakatūpehupehu (fitful noise and violence) · de Kraftmeierei (pompous, officious talk) · nl bulder (fitful noise and violence) · de Dampfplauderei (pompous, officious talk) · cy twrw (fitful noise and violence) · bg порив (gust of wind) · de Gepolter (fitful noise and violence) · de Prahlerei (pompous, officious talk) · de Wutgeheul (fitful noise and violence) · sh praznoslovlje (pompous, officious talk) · cy broch (fitful noise and violence) · es bravuconerías (pompous, officious talk) · es fanfarronadas (pompous, officious talk) · nl gebulder (fitful noise and violence) · gd bagairt (pompous, officious talk) · de Aufplustern (pompous, officious talk) · de Wutgeschrei (fitful noise and violence) · gd gleadhraich (fitful noise and violence) · no uforskammet mas (pompous, officious talk) · cs hukot (gust of wind) · cs vztekání se (fitful noise and violence) · gd beucadh (gust of wind) · cs kravál (fitful noise and violence) · nl gebral (pompous, officious talk) · cs řvaní (fitful noise and violence) · fi tuulenpuuska (gust of wind) · cy dwndwr (gust of wind) · no bråk (fitful noise and violence) · gd bòilich (pompous, officious talk) · de Sturmböe (gust of wind) · de Getöse (pompous, officious talk) · de Windböe (gust of wind) · no tomme trusler (pompous, officious talk) · cy stŵr (fitful noise and violence) · fi puuska (gust of wind) · de Windstoß (gust of wind) · fi mahtailu (pompous, officious talk) · de Bombast (pompous, officious talk) · es bravuconadas (pompous, officious talk) · bg самохвалство (pompous, officious talk) · de wichtigtuerisches Gerede (pompous, officious talk) · gd bagradh (pompous, officious talk) · es bravatas (pompous, officious talk) · cy brol (pompous, officious talk) · it sbruffoneria (pompous, officious talk) · de Böe (gust of wind)

bluster en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• (US) audio
• /ˈblʌs.tɚ/ (General-American)
• /ˈblʌs.tə/ (UK)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

From Middle English blusteren (“to wander about aimlessly”); however, apparently picking up the modern sense from Middle Low German blüstren (“to blow violently”; compare later Low German blustern, blistern). Related to blow, blast. Compare also Saterland Frisian bloasje (“to blow”), bruusje (“to bluster”).

Meanings

1. To speak or protest loudly.
   • When confronted by opposition his reaction was to bluster, which often cowed the meek.
2. To act or speak in an unduly threatening manner.
   • He bloweth and blustereth out […] his abominable blasphemy. 1532, Thomas More, Confutation of Tyndale's Answer:
   • As if therewith he meant to bluster all princes into a perfect obedience to his commands. 1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain; […], London: […] Iohn Williams […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=I to XI):
   • Your ministerial directors blustered like tragic tyrants. 1774 April 19, Edmund Burke, Speech of Edmund Burke, Esq. on American Taxation, April 19, 1774, 2nd edition, London: […] J[ames] Dodsley, […], published 1775, →OCLC:
3. To blow in strong or sudden gusts (refers to winds).
   • And ever-threatening storms / Of Chaos blustering round. 1667, John Milton, “Book III”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

Forms

Deriveds

blusterous · blustering · abluster · blustery · blusterer

Translations (46)

ru бушева́ть (to blow in strong or sudden gusts) · no bråke (to speak or protest loudly) · no opptre uforskammet (to speak or protest loudly) · no rase (to blow in strong or sudden gusts) · mi whakatūpehupehu (to speak or protest loudly) · cy brochi (to speak or protest loudly) · de tosen (to blow in strong or sudden gusts) · mi wananga (to act or speak in a threatening manner) · qu phiñay (to speak or protest loudly) · fi ärhennellä (to act or speak in a threatening manner) · cy trystio (to speak or protest loudly) · de poltern (to speak or protest loudly) · cs burácet (to blow in strong or sudden gusts) · mi tūpererū (to act or speak in a threatening manner) · de wüste Drohungen ausstoßen (to act or speak in a threatening manner) · mk бу́чи (to blow in strong or sudden gusts) · ru реве́ть (to blow in strong or sudden gusts) · cs vykřikovat (to speak or protest loudly) · mi tūpererū (to speak or protest loudly) · mi whāuraura (to speak or protest loudly) · no bruke seg (to speak or protest loudly) · mi tūpeha (to speak or protest loudly) · es fanfarrear (to speak or protest loudly) · sco blouster (to blow in strong or sudden gusts) · fi tuulla puuskaisesti (to blow in strong or sudden gusts) · mi rūtā (to speak or protest loudly) · gd bagair (to speak or protest loudly) · es fanfarronear (to speak or protest loudly) · fi mahtailla (to speak or protest loudly) · cy rhuo (to blow in strong or sudden gusts) · mk за́вива (to blow in strong or sudden gusts) · cs vztekat se (to speak or protest loudly) · de laut werden (to speak or protest loudly) · cs bouřit (to blow in strong or sudden gusts) · gd stoirmich (to blow in strong or sudden gusts) · mi whāuraura (to act or speak in a threatening manner) · cs zuřit (to speak or protest loudly) · fi uhota (to speak or protest loudly) · cs rozkřikovat se (to speak or protest loudly) · cs rozčilovat se (to speak or protest loudly) · mi whakatūātea (to speak or protest loudly) · bg вилнея (to blow in strong or sudden gusts) · mi ngangana (to speak or protest loudly) · bg бушувам (to blow in strong or sudden gusts) · cy bygwth (to act or speak in a threatening manner) · de brausen (to blow in strong or sudden gusts)