1
: a blow especially with the hand
2
: something that strikes with telling force
buffeted; buffeting; buffets
1
: to strike sharply especially with the hand : cuff
2
: to strike repeatedly : batter
the waves buffeted the shore
3
: to drive, force, move, or attack by or as if by repeated blows
schools being buffeted by budget cuts
: to make one's way especially under difficult conditions
plural buffets
1
furniture
: sideboard sense 1
2
a
: a counter for refreshments
went back to the buffet for a second helping
b
chiefly British
: a restaurant operated as a public convenience (as in a railway station)
c
: a meal set out on a buffet or table for ready access and informal service
a restaurant that offers a breakfast buffet
3
: an assortment of options or offerings : variety
Once you're up there among the clouds, you'll have a buffet of skiing options.—
Brad Wetzler
Brad Wetzler
: served informally especially as a buffet (see buffet entry 3 sense 2c)
a buffet meal
buffet luncheons
Synonyms
Noun (1)
- bang
- bash
- bat
- beat
- belt
- biff
- blow
- bop
- box
- bust
- chop
- clap
- clip
- clout
- crack
- cuff
- dab
- douse [British]
- fillip
- hack
- haymaker
- hit
- hook
- knock
- larrup [dialect]
- lash
- lick
- pelt
- pick
- plump
- poke
- pound
- punch
- rap
- slam
- slap
- slug
- smack
- smash
- sock
- spank
- stinger
- stripe
- stroke
- swat
- swipe
- switch
- thud
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- welt
- whack
- wham
- whop
- whap
Verb
- bash
- baste
- bat
- batter
- beat
- belabor
- belt
- birch
- bludgeon
- bung up
- club
- curry
- do
- drub
- fib [British]
- flog
- hammer
- hide
- lace
- lambaste
- lambast
- lash
- lather
- lick
- maul
- mess (up)
- paddle
- pelt
- pommel
- pound
- pummel
- punch out
- rough (up)
- slate
- slog
- switch
- tan
- thrash
- thresh
- thump
- tromp
- wallop
- whale
- whip
- whop
- whap
- whup
- work over
Noun (2)
Examples of buffet in a Sentence
Noun (1)
delivered a powerful buffet to the side of the prisoner's head
Verb
The strong winds buffeted the ship.
fierce winds buffeted the small sailboat
Noun (2)
a buffet completed the kitchen set
Recent Examples on the WebWilson Chapman, IndieWire, 16 July 2024
Sleep in, but be sure to squeak into The Grand Hall before the legendary breakfast buffet wraps up at 10:30 a.m.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 13 July 2024
Tom Nouvian and Suman Naishadham, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 July 2024
The Supreme Court term that ended this week played out on a split screen: The justices issued blockbuster rulings that pushed the law sharply to the right, while outside the court some justices were buffeted by new ethics allegations that stoked questions from critics about their impartiality.
—Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 6 July 2024
Julian Kheel, CNN Underscored, 1 June 2020
See all Example Sentences for buffet 
Noun
The result is an unholy buffet of squirm-inducing humor, but one that’s built atop a dark reservoir of real empathy.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 16 July 2024
Sleep in, but be sure to squeak into The Grand Hall before the legendary breakfast buffet wraps up at 10:30 a.m.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 13 July 2024
Verb
But organizers remain optimistic that drier, sunnier weather than what the French capital experienced in June will allow the events to go as planned – buffeted by the infrastructure upgrades.
—Tom Nouvian and Suman Naishadham, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 July 2024
The Supreme Court term that ended this week played out on a split screen: The justices issued blockbuster rulings that pushed the law sharply to the right, while outside the court some justices were buffeted by new ethics allegations that stoked questions from critics about their impartiality.
—Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 6 July 2024
Adjective
Customers can expect to see non-buffet-style food options, and social distancing will likely require a reduction in the number of people allowed in the usually crowded lounges.
—Julian Kheel, CNN Underscored, 1 June 2020
See all Example Sentences for buffet
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'buffet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near buffet
Cite this Entry
“Buffet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buffet. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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