buff

1 of 3

noun

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

buff

2 of 3

adjective

1
: of the color buff
2
or buffed : having a physique enhanced by bodybuilding exercises

buff

3 of 3

verb

buffed; buffing; buffs

transitive verb

1
: polish, shine
waxed and buffed the floor
2
: to give a velvety surface to (leather)

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. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
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

Etymology

Noun

Middle French buffle wild ox, from Old Italian bufalo

First Known Use

Noun

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1746, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1838, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of buff was in 1570

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.

Kids Definition

buff

1 of 3 noun
1
: 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!