bluster

Also found in: Thesaurus, Wikipedia.

Related to bluster: Bustler

blus·ter

(blŭs′tər)

v. blus·tered, blus·ter·ing, blus·ters

v.intr.

1. To blow in loud, violent gusts, as the wind during a storm.

a. To speak in a loudly arrogant or bullying manner.

b. To brag or make loud, empty threats.

v.tr.

To force or bully with swaggering threats.

1. A violent, gusty wind.

2. Turbulence or noisy confusion.

3. Loud, arrogant speech, often full of empty threats.

[Middle English blusteren, from Middle Low German blüsteren.]

blus′ter·er n.

blus′ter·y, blus′ter·ous adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

bluster

(ˈblʌstə)

1. to speak or say loudly or boastfully

2. to act in a bullying way

3. (foll by: into) to force or attempt to force (a person) into doing something by behaving thus

4. (intr) (of the wind) to be noisy or gusty

5. boisterous talk or action; swagger

6. empty threats or protests

7. a strong wind; gale

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

ˈblusterer n

ˈblustering n, adj

ˈblusteringly, ˈblusterously adv

ˈblustery, ˈblusterous adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

blus•ter

(ˈblʌs tər)
v.i.

1. to roar and be tumultuous, as wind.

2. to be loud, noisy, or swaggering; utter loud, empty threats.

v.t.

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

4. boisterous noise and violence: the bluster of a storm at sea.

5. noisy, empty threats.

[1520–30]

blus′ter•er, n.

blus′ter•ing•ly, adv.

blus′ter•y, blus′ter•ous, adj.

bluster

Past participle: blustered
Gerund: blustering

Imperative
bluster
bluster

Present
I bluster
you bluster
he/she/it blusters
we bluster
you bluster
they bluster

Preterite
I blustered
you blustered
he/she/it blustered
we blustered
you blustered
they blustered

Present Continuous
I am blustering
you are blustering
he/she/it is blustering
we are blustering
you are blustering
they are blustering

Present Perfect
I have blustered
you have blustered
he/she/it has blustered
we have blustered
you have blustered
they have blustered

Past Continuous
I was blustering
you were blustering
he/she/it was blustering
we were blustering
you were blustering
they were blustering

Past Perfect
I had blustered
you had blustered
he/she/it had blustered
we had blustered
you had blustered
they had blustered

Future
I will bluster
you will bluster
he/she/it will bluster
we will bluster
you will bluster
they will bluster

Future Perfect
I will have blustered
you will have blustered
he/she/it will have blustered
we will have blustered
you will have blustered
they will have blustered

Future Continuous
I will be blustering
you will be blustering
he/she/it will be blustering
we will be blustering
you will be blustering
they will be blustering

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been blustering
you have been blustering
he/she/it has been blustering
we have been blustering
you have been blustering
they have been blustering

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been blustering
you will have been blustering
he/she/it will have been blustering
we will have been blustering
you will have been blustering
they will have been blustering

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been blustering
you had been blustering
he/she/it had been blustering
we had been blustering
you had been blustering
they had been blustering

Conditional
I would bluster
you would bluster
he/she/it would bluster
we would bluster
you would bluster
they would bluster

Past Conditional
I would have blustered
you would have blustered
he/she/it would have blustered
we would have blustered
you would have blustered
they would have blustered

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	bluster - noisy confusion and turbulence; "he was awakened by the bluster of their preparations" confusion - disorder resulting from a failure to behave predictably; "the army retreated in confusion"
	2.	bluster - a swaggering show of courage bravado fanfare, ostentation, flash - a gaudy outward display
	3.	bluster - a violent gusty wind gust, blast, blow - a strong current of air; "the tree was bent almost double by the gust"
	4.	bluster - vain and empty boasting braggadocio, rhodomontade, rodomontade boast, boasting, jactitation, self-praise - speaking of yourself in superlatives
Verb	1.	bluster - blow hard; be gusty, as of wind; "A southeaster blustered onshore"; "The flames blustered" blow - be blowing or storming; "The wind blew from the West"
	2.	bluster - show off boast, brag, gasconade, shoot a line, vaunt, tout, gas, swash, blow puff - speak in a blustering or scornful manner; "A puffing kind of man" exaggerate, hyperbolise, hyperbolize, overstate, amplify, magnify, overdraw - to enlarge beyond bounds or the truth; "tended to romanticize and exaggerate this `gracious Old South' imagery" crow, gloat, triumph - dwell on with satisfaction
	3.	bluster - act in an arrogant, overly self-assured, or conceited manner swagger, swash behave, act, do - behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior; conduct or comport oneself; "You should act like an adult"; "Don't behave like a fool"; "What makes her do this way?"; "The dog acts ferocious, but he is really afraid of people"

bluster

verb

1. boast, swagger, talk big (slang) He was still blustering, but there was panic in his eyes.

noun

1. hot air, boasting, bluff, swagger, swaggering (informal), bravado, bombast the bluster of their campaign

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

bluster

verb

To speak or say very loudly or with a shout:

bawl, bellow, call, clamor, cry, halloo, holler, roar, shout, vociferate, whoop, yawp, yell.

Translations

bouřitchvástáníhukotkraválzuřit

Getöse

mahtaillamahtailupuuskapuuskaisestituulenpuuska

bravata dare in escandescenze darsi arie infuriarsi scoppio d'ira

bråk bråkebruke segrase raseri

bluster

[ˈblʌstəʳ]

A. N (= empty threats) → fanfarronadas fpl, bravatas fpl

B. VI [wind] → soplar con fuerza, bramar

C. VT to bluster it out → defenderse echando bravatas, baladronear

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

bluster

[ˈblʌstə^r]

(= empty talk) → paroles fpl en l'air

(= boasting) → fanfaronnades fpl

(= threats) → menaces fpl en l'air

(= speak aggressively) → fulminer

(= boast) → fanfaronner

vt (= say aggressively) → tempêter, fulminer

bluster

(wind) → tosen, toben

(fig: person) → ein großes Geschrei machen; (angrily also) → toben

vt to bluster one’s way out of it/something → es/etw lautstark abstreiten

n (of person) → großes Geschrei; (angry also) → Toben nt

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

bluster

[ˈblʌstəʳ]

1. n → bravate fpl, spacconate fpl; (threats) → vuote minacce fpl

2. vi (wind) → infuriare; (person, boast) → fare lo/la spaccone/a; (rage) → dare in escandescenze

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

To begin by bluster, but afterwards to take fright at the enemy's numbers, shows a supreme lack of intelligence.

View in context

Behind her came Taug, warily and with many pauses and much bluster, and still behind him came other bulls, snarling ferociously and uttering their uncanny challenges.

Taug blustered and threatened, but Tarzan only grinned at him as he dropped lightly to the lower levels.

View in context

From all the interwoven forest arose the smoke and bluster of the battle.

View in context

Instead, it went out with a wild, white bluster and blow.

View in context

Did he see any faint reflection of his own image making a vain-glorious will, whereby five-and-twenty Humbugs, past five-and-fifty years of age, each taking upon himself the name, Josiah Bounderby of Coketown, should for ever dine in Bounderby Hall, for ever lodge in Bounderby buildings, for ever attend a Bounderby chapel, for ever go to sleep under a Bounderby chaplain, for ever be supported out of a Bounderby estate, and for ever nauseate all healthy stomachs, with a vast amount of Bounderby balderdash and bluster? Had he any prescience of the day, five years to come, when Josiah Bounderby of Coketown was to die of a fit in the Coketown street, and this same precious will was to begin its long career of quibble, plunder, false pretences, vile example, little service and much law?

View in context

Filcher was cleaning my feet at the time, but they soon saw him, and though he blustered a good deal they walked him off to the "lock-up", and his boy with him.

View in context

A high wind blustered round the house, and roared in the chimney: it sounded wild and stormy, yet it was not cold, and we were all together - I, a little removed from the hearth, busy at my knitting, and Joseph reading his Bible near the table

View in context

Even Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn managed to look statesmanlike against the bluster.

A rare success for a Prime Minister.. uniting the entire House of Commons AGAINST him; TORCUIL CRICHTON, WESTMINSTER EDITOR ANALYSIS

He was accused of "bluster" over the 310-mile frontier separating Northern Ireland and the Republic.

Stop Eur bluster; EU chiefs blast Boris over the Backstop as no-deal Brexit looms

Pakistan has warned that attempts by the aspirants of permanent seats on the UN Security Council to bluster through the ongoing process to reach to an agreement on reforming the 15-member body would obstruct efforts to make it more democratic.