1
: a garment (such as a uniform) made of buff leather
2
: the state of being nude
sunbathing in the buff
3
a
: a moderate orange yellow
b
: a light to moderate yellow
4
: a device having a soft absorbent surface (as of cloth) by which polishing material is applied
5
[earlier buff an enthusiast about going to fires; perhaps from the buff overcoats worn by volunteer firefighters in New York City about 1820]
: fan, enthusiast
1
: of the color buff
2
or buffed
: having a physique enhanced by bodybuilding exercises
buffed; buffing; buffs
2
: to give a velvety surface to (leather)
Synonyms
Examples of buff in a Sentence
Noun
he's such a film buff that he owns over 3,000 movies
protected by a fully enclosed backyard, the couple would frequently sunbathe in the buff
Adjective
He's at the gym every day trying to get buff.
the buff body of an athlete
Verb
The floors are waxed and buffed every year.
She is going to the salon to get her nails buffed.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Stephen Farber, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Sep. 2023
Returning back along Woodward Avenue, the Detroit Public Library’s Main branch building, 5201 Woodward, offers another visual feast for architecture buffs.
—Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press, 4 Sep. 2023
Seligman was a movie buff from a young age, growing up in Toronto and taking part in TIFF’s Next Wave group in high school.
—Nadine Zylberberg, ELLE, 25 Aug. 2023
Movie buffs of all ages should plan their trip around the city’s most renowned film festivals such as the Tribeca Film Festival (which takes place each June) and New York Film Festival (which occurs every fall).
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 31 July 2023
Anyone who's a fan of masterful cinema, or just a history buff, should enjoy watching Oppenheimer.
—Milan Polk, Men's Health, 21 July 2023
Hanson was a fitness buff and taught several classes, including Zumba and full body conditioning.
—John R. Ellement, BostonGlobe.com, 17 July 2023
There are some in shallow areas and quite a few deeper down — movie buffs will appreciate the James Bond Wrecks in Nassau.
—Catherine Garcia, The Week, 15 July 2023
But their history is highlighted in the latest exhibit at the Berea Historical Society, which opened with a talk by car buff and historian Jim Jaworski.
—cleveland, 14 July 2023
Philip Ellis, Men's Health, 3 July 2023
Jean Paul Gaultier suit printed with a buff optical-illusion body over it.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 28 June 2023
Combine with a buff Enchantress, mobile Jeff and the traditional Darkhawk/Rockslide/Korg combo, Nebula can get power as your opponent scrambles to deal with everything else.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 4 May 2023
Separately, university officials decided to test it out, with the addition of one of the school colors (which are buff and blue, like certain Continental Army uniforms).
—Nick Anderson, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2023
Designed on a vertical axis to take advantage of the views, with a buff-colored brick exterior and a roof of gray stone tiles, the eight-bedroom, three-story house is bordered with a half-acre of gardens that meander up the hillside behind it, in shades of fuchsia and yellow in spring.
—Nancy Hass Henry Bourne, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2023
The 24-year-old pop star posted a series of photos from his time in the country Sunday (March 26), including a couple snapshots showing off his buff upper body glowing a painful-looking shade of red.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 27 Mar. 2023
Amazon bought IMDb in 1998 and supercharged the reach of its content, but its film-buff knowledge-production skunkworks remained largely untouched. IMDb’s emergence almost cost Gary Brumburgh a decade of his life.
—WIRED, 21 Feb. 2023
With half-naked ultra-buff men singing and performing massive choreographed dance sequences, Chippendales has, from its beginning, been a cultural phenomenon.
—Carson Burton, Variety, 20 Sep. 2022
Halee Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2023
With a healthy dose of wit and wisdom, soul-baring honesty and a riffing style that invokes his slash-and-burn guitar playing, Mud Ride offers something for record-collecting music geeks, skateboarder punk crews, grunge history heads, Nirvana and Pearl Jam fans, and Mudhoney buffs alike.
—Brad Cohan, SPIN, 13 June 2023
These gently buff away pore-clogging debris and have been shown to have some wrinkle-reducing benefits.
—ELLE, 31 July 2023
Give it a few minutes to haze up, then buff off with terry cloth or microfiber polishing cloths.
—Michael Stillwell, Popular Mechanics, 27 Mar. 2023
The muted mauve pigment on her lips seemed to be a similar color to the one that was buffed on her cheeks.
—Gabi Thorne, Allure, 10 Aug. 2023
Make sure that the drum and lid are untreated, and buff their insides with a scouring pad or fine sandpaper.
—Joe Kohl-Riggs, Popular Mechanics, 27 July 2023
Perlite, a mineral that comes from volcanic rock, buffs away those small bumps, and a 14% concentration of AHAs help dissolve the excess keratin that causes KP.
—Lacey Muinos, Health, 18 July 2023
Use it for everything from removing gel and acrylic to buffing away dead skin and calluses.
—Brigitt Earley, Women's Health, 27 Mar. 2023
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Noun
The American, played by Harry Einhorn, is named Ron Coleman, an in-joke obviously inserted by the director for film buffs around the world.
—Stephen Farber, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Sep. 2023
Returning back along Woodward Avenue, the Detroit Public Library’s Main branch building, 5201 Woodward, offers another visual feast for architecture buffs.
—Eric D. Lawrence, Detroit Free Press, 4 Sep. 2023
Seligman was a movie buff from a young age, growing up in Toronto and taking part in TIFF’s Next Wave group in high school.
—Nadine Zylberberg, ELLE, 25 Aug. 2023
Movie buffs of all ages should plan their trip around the city’s most renowned film festivals such as the Tribeca Film Festival (which takes place each June) and New York Film Festival (which occurs every fall).
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 31 July 2023
Anyone who's a fan of masterful cinema, or just a history buff, should enjoy watching Oppenheimer.
—Milan Polk, Men's Health, 21 July 2023
Hanson was a fitness buff and taught several classes, including Zumba and full body conditioning.
—John R. Ellement, BostonGlobe.com, 17 July 2023
There are some in shallow areas and quite a few deeper down — movie buffs will appreciate the James Bond Wrecks in Nassau.
—Catherine Garcia, The Week, 15 July 2023
But their history is highlighted in the latest exhibit at the Berea Historical Society, which opened with a talk by car buff and historian Jim Jaworski.
—cleveland, 14 July 2023
Adjective
Law & Order star Christopher Meloni is showing off his buff physique in a playful new digital ad.
—Philip Ellis, Men's Health, 3 July 2023
Jean Paul Gaultier suit printed with a buff optical-illusion body over it.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 28 June 2023
Combine with a buff Enchantress, mobile Jeff and the traditional Darkhawk/Rockslide/Korg combo, Nebula can get power as your opponent scrambles to deal with everything else.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes, 4 May 2023
Separately, university officials decided to test it out, with the addition of one of the school colors (which are buff and blue, like certain Continental Army uniforms).
—Nick Anderson, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2023
Designed on a vertical axis to take advantage of the views, with a buff-colored brick exterior and a roof of gray stone tiles, the eight-bedroom, three-story house is bordered with a half-acre of gardens that meander up the hillside behind it, in shades of fuchsia and yellow in spring.
—Nancy Hass Henry Bourne, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2023
The 24-year-old pop star posted a series of photos from his time in the country Sunday (March 26), including a couple snapshots showing off his buff upper body glowing a painful-looking shade of red.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 27 Mar. 2023
Amazon bought IMDb in 1998 and supercharged the reach of its content, but its film-buff knowledge-production skunkworks remained largely untouched. IMDb’s emergence almost cost Gary Brumburgh a decade of his life.
—WIRED, 21 Feb. 2023
With half-naked ultra-buff men singing and performing massive choreographed dance sequences, Chippendales has, from its beginning, been a cultural phenomenon.
—Carson Burton, Variety, 20 Sep. 2022
Verb
To bring back a lustrous shine, buff the tiles with a dry cotton cloth.
—Halee Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2023
With a healthy dose of wit and wisdom, soul-baring honesty and a riffing style that invokes his slash-and-burn guitar playing, Mud Ride offers something for record-collecting music geeks, skateboarder punk crews, grunge history heads, Nirvana and Pearl Jam fans, and Mudhoney buffs alike.
—Brad Cohan, SPIN, 13 June 2023
These gently buff away pore-clogging debris and have been shown to have some wrinkle-reducing benefits.
—ELLE, 31 July 2023
Give it a few minutes to haze up, then buff off with terry cloth or microfiber polishing cloths.
—Michael Stillwell, Popular Mechanics, 27 Mar. 2023
The muted mauve pigment on her lips seemed to be a similar color to the one that was buffed on her cheeks.
—Gabi Thorne, Allure, 10 Aug. 2023
Make sure that the drum and lid are untreated, and buff their insides with a scouring pad or fine sandpaper.
—Joe Kohl-Riggs, Popular Mechanics, 27 July 2023
Perlite, a mineral that comes from volcanic rock, buffs away those small bumps, and a 14% concentration of AHAs help dissolve the excess keratin that causes KP.
—Lacey Muinos, Health, 18 July 2023
Use it for everything from removing gel and acrylic to buffing away dead skin and calluses.
—Brigitt Earley, Women's Health, 27 Mar. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'buff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing buff
Dictionary Entries Near buff
Cite this Entry
“Buff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buff. Accessed 22 Sep. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
buff
1 of 3 noun1
: an orange yellow
2
: a device with a soft absorbent surface (as of cloth) for applying polishing material
3
: fan entry 3, enthusiast
a tennis buff
buff
2 of 3 adjective
: of the color buff
buff
3 of 3 verb
: to polish with or as if with a buff
More from Merriam-Webster on buff
Nglish: Translation of buff for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of buff for Arabic Speakers
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