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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2024
From $150 Compass Rose Lodge Huntsville, Utah The Ogden Valley isn’t solely for ski buffs.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Outside Online, 1 Aug. 2024
Callie Holtermann, New York Times, 19 May 2024
Gyllenhaal will step into the role of UFC fighter turned rough-and-rowdy bouncer James Dalton, with his poster revealing a super buff Jake — with a full left arm sleeve of ink — staring into the camera, his face also showing signs of combat.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 14 Feb. 2024
Natasha Chen, CNN, 19 July 2024
Pictured here are single layers of bronzer and blush after being vigorously buffed and blended out.
—Victoria Montalti, refinery29.com, 20 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for buff 
Noun
Bewkes told Deadline that as history buffs, the Thoroughbred project ticked the boxes for the powerhouse trio.
—Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2024
From $150 Compass Rose Lodge Huntsville, Utah The Ogden Valley isn’t solely for ski buffs.
—Stephanie Vermillion, Outside Online, 1 Aug. 2024
Adjective
Young shoppers are taking cues from influencers like Jeremy Fragrance, a buff German man with 8.8 million followers on the platform.
—Callie Holtermann, New York Times, 19 May 2024
Gyllenhaal will step into the role of UFC fighter turned rough-and-rowdy bouncer James Dalton, with his poster revealing a super buff Jake — with a full left arm sleeve of ink — staring into the camera, his face also showing signs of combat.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 14 Feb. 2024
Verb
Her work is laborious, often dragging 600 feet of PVC hose and working with heavy machinery to buff the floors.
—Natasha Chen, CNN, 19 July 2024
Pictured here are single layers of bronzer and blush after being vigorously buffed and blended out.
—Victoria Montalti, refinery29.com, 20 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for buff
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.
Dictionary Entries Near buff
Cite this Entry
“Buff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buff. Accessed 14 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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