puffery

noun

puff·​ery ˈpə-f(ə-)rē How to pronounce puffery (audio)
: exaggerated commendation especially for promotional purposes : hype

Examples of puffery in a Sentence

the newspaper's local stories are often thinly disguised puffery for area businesses
Recent Examples on the Web The defense also has claimed that prosecutors are casting commonplace entrepreneurial puffery as a crime and singling out Watson, a Black founder in a tech world where African American executives have been disproportionately few. Paolo Confino, Fortune, 13 June 2024 But overall, there should be a substantial amount of sizzle — or at least copious amounts of hot air and puffery — coming from next week’s upfront presentations. Josef Adalian, Vulture, 10 May 2024 This is where the focused music hall puffery of the production helps. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 22 Apr. 2024 That conclusion may sound preposterously quaint to some, unwelcome advice to a few, ridiculous puffery or an impossible goal to still others. David Baldacci, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for puffery 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'puffery.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1731, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of puffery was in 1731

Dictionary Entries Near puffery

Cite this Entry

“Puffery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puffery. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Legal Definition

puffery

noun
puff·​ery ˈpə-fə-rē How to pronounce puffery (audio)
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