bluster

1 of 2

verb

blus·​ter ˈblə-stər 

blustered; blustering ˈblə-st(ə-)riŋ 

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

1

: 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

blusterer

ˈblə-stər-ər 

noun

bluster

2 of 2

noun

1

: a violent boisterous blowing

… the strong breeze driving them was setting up a bluster on the water.

—Rose Thurburn

2

: violent commotion

They do their work without bluster or ostentation.

—Stanley Walker

3

: loudly boastful or threatening speech

growing tired of his macho bluster

blusterous

ˈblə-st(ə-)rəs 

adjective

blustery

ˈblə-st(ə-)rē 

adjective

Synonyms

Verb

• huff

Noun

• rhetoric
• bombast
• braggadocio
• brag
• chatter
• rodomontade

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

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

However, in this latest round of tariff announcements, investors have learned to largely tune them out as negotiating bluster rather than policy commitments. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 11 July 2025

In a note to clients Thursday, analysts with Capital Economics dismissed the current patch as mostly bluster that would have little in the way of wider market implications. —Garrett Haake, NBC news, 10 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English blustren, probably from Middle Low German blüsteren

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1582, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bluster

• buster
• cluster
• duster
• juster
• luster
• lustre
• muster
• thruster
• trustor
• adjuster
• baluster
• blockbuster

Kids Definition

bluster

1 of 2 verb

blus·​ter ˈbləs-tər 

blustered; blustering -t(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to blow violently and noisily

2

: to talk or act in a noisy boastful way

blusterer

-tər-ər 

noun

bluster

2 of 2 noun

1

: a violent noise or commotion

2

: loudly boastful or threatening speech

blustery

-t(ə-)rē 

adjective