blustered; blustering
ˈblə-st(ə-)riŋ 
1
: to talk or act with noisy swaggering threats
brags and blusters but rarely does what he says he'll do
2
a
: to blow in stormy noisy gusts
a cold, blustering wind
b
: to be windy and boisterous
… when autumn blusters and the orchard rocks.—
Robert Browning
Robert Browning1
: to utter with noisy self-assertiveness
"I don't want to hear it!" he blustered.
2
: to drive or force by blustering
… trying to bluster us into the belief that they are much better than they look.—F. A. Swinnerton
F. A. Swinnerton1
: a violent boisterous blowing
… the strong breeze driving them was setting up a bluster on the water.—Rose Thurburn
Rose Thurburn2
: violent commotion
They do their work without bluster or ostentation.—Stanley Walker
Stanley Walker3
: loudly boastful or threatening speech
growing tired of his macho bluster
Examples of bluster in a Sentence
Verb
He brags and blusters, but he never really does what he says he'll do.
“I don't want to hear it!” he blustered.
The wind blustered through the valley.
Noun
We were all tired of his macho bluster.
all the bluster in the campaign speech was intended to hide a lack of specifics
Recent Examples on the Web
Matthew Tostevin, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
Her boozy, blustering sarcasm should be entered into evidence as a blunt instrument.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 20 Mar. 2025
Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 11 May 2025
The Trump administration favors bluster over diplomacy, treating Canada with disdain.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bluster
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Verb
Denmark has become a leader in green energy—particularly from the winds that all too often bluster the country pinned between the North Sea and the Baltic.
—Matthew Tostevin, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
Her boozy, blustering sarcasm should be entered into evidence as a blunt instrument.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 20 Mar. 2025
Noun
Here comes 72 hours of ballyhoo and bluster about the state of the television business.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 11 May 2025
The Trump administration favors bluster over diplomacy, treating Canada with disdain.
—Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bluster
Cite this Entry
“Bluster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bluster. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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