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
Synonyms
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 WebMegan Michelson, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024
But Trump is a blustering, angry old man who performs a version of masculinity that’s immediately recognizable and, in some quarters, still admired as a sign of vibrancy.
—Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 13 Feb. 2024
Blazes that began on Friday spread through bushland and into populated areas on the edge of the coastal city of Viña del Mar, about 120 km (75 miles) northwest of Santiago, fed by blustering wind and high temperatures.
—James Attwood, Fortune, 4 Feb. 2024
Such a moniker, blustered Jones, was symptomatic of the moral decline evident in a persuasive element of youth culture.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 7 Feb. 2024
On one midday afternoon last week, blustering winds whipped blankets of snow from the once-in-a-decade storm around Des Moines, where the streets were deserted, save for a handful of vehicles dotting the roads.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 14 Jan. 2024
Swirling winds blustering at more than 1,000 miles per hour, along with heat rising from the planetary interior, create the gold and yellow atmospheric bands.
—Discover Magazine, 29 June 2010
McCallany’s Fritz is blustering and hectoring, but at his most terrifying when dominating his sons with mere hints and cheerfully casual games of intimate power.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2023
Our windiest day of autumn blew and blustered across the Washington area on Saturday, with powerful gusts attaining hold-onto-your-hat speeds, reaching into the 40 mph range.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2023
Leif Wenar, WIRED, 2 Apr. 2024
Last month, Walter Olson, of the Cato Institute, had an observation:
With all his bluster and threats, Trump has not been able to corrupt or intimidate the courts.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 19 Feb. 2024
And in the midst of that character storm is Mantzoukas, whose ability to mix bluster and fear perfectly expresses the turmoil going on in poor Jay's brain.
—Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024
Some may discount that as typical Trump rally bluster or write it off as a poor attempt at humor.
—Peter Baker, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2024
Manly remains the loud one with a wicked sense of humor and the bluster of a defensive line coach, while Stewart is still the quiet-yet-forceful voice of reason.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2024
This is more than the usual bluster, the pair of experts say.
—Min Joo Kim, Washington Post, 19 Jan. 2024
After all, for all his years of bluster, Erdogan may now have little interest in antagonizing the West.
—Soner Cagaptay, Foreign Affairs, 19 Feb. 2024
For all their bluster, critics of Life didn’t cite factual errors.
—Tom Stanton, Detroit Free Press, 11 Feb. 2024
Verb
By Thursday, forecasters were urging drivers to avoid traveling in the blustering winds with minimal visibility.
—Megan Michelson, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024
But Trump is a blustering, angry old man who performs a version of masculinity that’s immediately recognizable and, in some quarters, still admired as a sign of vibrancy.
—Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 13 Feb. 2024
Blazes that began on Friday spread through bushland and into populated areas on the edge of the coastal city of Viña del Mar, about 120 km (75 miles) northwest of Santiago, fed by blustering wind and high temperatures.
—James Attwood, Fortune, 4 Feb. 2024
Such a moniker, blustered Jones, was symptomatic of the moral decline evident in a persuasive element of youth culture.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 7 Feb. 2024
On one midday afternoon last week, blustering winds whipped blankets of snow from the once-in-a-decade storm around Des Moines, where the streets were deserted, save for a handful of vehicles dotting the roads.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 14 Jan. 2024
Swirling winds blustering at more than 1,000 miles per hour, along with heat rising from the planetary interior, create the gold and yellow atmospheric bands.
—Discover Magazine, 29 June 2010
McCallany’s Fritz is blustering and hectoring, but at his most terrifying when dominating his sons with mere hints and cheerfully casual games of intimate power.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2023
Our windiest day of autumn blew and blustered across the Washington area on Saturday, with powerful gusts attaining hold-onto-your-hat speeds, reaching into the 40 mph range.
—Martin Weil, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2023
Noun
But the young man in charge clearly had some bluster.
—Leif Wenar, WIRED, 2 Apr. 2024
Last month, Walter Olson, of the Cato Institute, had an observation:
With all his bluster and threats, Trump has not been able to corrupt or intimidate the courts.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 19 Feb. 2024
And in the midst of that character storm is Mantzoukas, whose ability to mix bluster and fear perfectly expresses the turmoil going on in poor Jay's brain.
—Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2024
Some may discount that as typical Trump rally bluster or write it off as a poor attempt at humor.
—Peter Baker, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2024
Manly remains the loud one with a wicked sense of humor and the bluster of a defensive line coach, while Stewart is still the quiet-yet-forceful voice of reason.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2024
This is more than the usual bluster, the pair of experts say.
—Min Joo Kim, Washington Post, 19 Jan. 2024
After all, for all his years of bluster, Erdogan may now have little interest in antagonizing the West.
—Soner Cagaptay, Foreign Affairs, 19 Feb. 2024
For all their bluster, critics of Life didn’t cite factual errors.
—Tom Stanton, Detroit Free Press, 11 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bluster.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Bluster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bluster. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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