bluster

English

WOTD – 20 March 2009

Etymology

From Middle English blusteren (“to wander about aimlessly”); however, apparently picking up the modern sense from Middle Low German blüstren (“to blow violently”; compare later Low German blustern, blistern). Related to blow, blast. Compare also Saterland Frisian bloasje (“to blow”), bruusje (“to bluster”).

Pronunciation

(UK) IPA^(key): /ˈblʌs.tə/
(General American) IPA^(key): /ˈblʌs.tɚ/
(US)
(file)
(General Australian)
(file)
Rhymes: -ʌstə(ɹ)

Noun

bluster (countable and uncountable, plural blusters)

Pompous, officious talk.
- 2013 June 22, “Engineers of a different kind”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 70:
  Private-equity nabobs bristle at being dubbed mere financiers. Piling debt onto companies’ balance-sheets is only a small part of what leveraged buy-outs are about, they insist. Improving the workings of the businesses they take over is just as core to their calling, if not more so. Much of their pleading is public-relations bluster.
A gust of wind.
Fitful noise and violence.

Synonyms

(pompous talk): bombast

Translations

pompous, officious talk

Bulgarian: самохвалство (bg) n (samohvalstvo)
Czech: chvástání n
Dutch: gebral (nl) n
Finnish: mahtailu (fi)
German: Getöse (de) n, Aufblasen n, Aufplustern n, Kraftmeierei f, Prahlerei (de) f
Italian: sbruffoneria f
Maori:
Norwegian: uforskammet mas, tomme trusler
Scottish Gaelic: bòst, bòilich f, bagairt f, bagradh m
Serbo-Croatian: praznoslovlje (sh) n

gust of wind

Bulgarian: порив (bg) m (poriv)
Czech: hukot m
Finnish: tuulenpuuska (fi), puuska (fi)
German: Böe (de) f, Windstoß (de) m
Maori: pūrekereke
Scots: blouster
Scottish Gaelic: beucadh m

fitful noise and violence

Czech: kravál (cs) m, řvaní n, vztekání se n
Dutch: bulder (nl) m, gebulder (nl) n
Maori: whakatūpehupehu
Norwegian: raseri (no) n, bråk (no) n
Scottish Gaelic: gleadhraich f

Verb

bluster (third-person singular simple present blusters, present participle blustering, simple past and past participle blustered)

To speak or protest loudly.
When confronted by opposition his reaction was to bluster, which often cowed the meek.
To act or speak in an unduly threatening manner.
- 1774 April 19, Edmund Burke, Speech of Edmund Burke, Esq. on American Taxation, April 19, 1774, 2nd edition, London: […] J[ames] Dodsley, […], published 1775, OCLC 873432945:
  Your ministerial directors blustered like tragic tyrants.
- 1532, Thomas More, Confutation of Tyndale's Answer
  He bloweth and blustereth out […] his abominable blasphemy.
- 1655, Thomas Fuller, James Nichols, editor, The Church History of Britain, […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), new edition, London: […] [James Nichols] for Thomas Tegg and Son, […], published 1837, OCLC 913056315:
  As if therewith he meant to bluster all princes into a perfect obedience to his commands.
To blow in strong or sudden gusts.
- 1667, John Milton, “Book III”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554:
  And ever-threatening storms / Of Chaos blustering round.

Translations

to speak or protest loudly

Czech: zuřit (cs), vztekat se impf, rozkřikovat se impf, rozčilovat se impf, vykřikovat impf
Finnish: mahtailla (fi), uhota (fi)
Maori: rūtā, tūpererū, whāuraura, whakatūpehupehu, whakatūātea, tūpeha, ngangana
Norwegian: bråke, bruke seg, opptre uforskammet
Quechua: phiñay
Scottish Gaelic: bagair

to act or speak in a threatening manner

Finnish: ärhennellä (fi)
Maori: wananga, whāuraura, tūpererū

to blow in strong or sudden gusts

Bulgarian: вилнея (bg) (vilneja), бушувам (bg) (bušuvam)
Czech: bouřit, burácet impf
Finnish: tuulla puuskaisesti
Norwegian: rase (no)
Russian: реве́ть (ru) (revétʹ), бушева́ть (ru) (buševátʹ)
Scots: blouster
Scottish Gaelic: stoirmich

Derived terms

blusterer
blustering
blusterous
blustery

Anagrams

Butlers, Struble, brustle, bustler, butlers, subtler, turbels