different between abrupt vs bluff

English

Etymology

First attested in 1583. Borrowed from Latin abruptus (“broken off”), perfect passive participle of abrump? (“break off”), formed from ab (“from, away from”) + rump? (“to break”).

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?.b??pt/, /æ?b??pt/
• Rhymes: -?pt

Adjective

abrupt (comparative more abrupt or abrupter, superlative most abrupt or abruptest)

1. (obsolete, rare) Broken away (from restraint). [Attested only in the late 16th century.]
2. Without notice to prepare the mind for the event; sudden; hasty; unceremonious. [First attested in the late 16th century.]
3. Curt in manner. [First attested in the late 16th century.]

   Synonyms: brusque, rude, uncivil, impolite
4. Having sudden transitions from one subject or state to another; unconnected; disjointed. [First attested in the late 16th century.]
   • 1641, Ben Jonson, Discoveries Made upon Men and Matter

     The abrupt style, which hath many breaches.

5. (obsolete) Broken off. [Attested from the early 17th century until the mid 18th century.]
6. Extremely steep or craggy as if broken up; precipitous. [First attested in the early 17th century.]

   • The mazy-running brook
     Forms a deep pool; this bank abrupt and high.
7. (botany) Suddenly terminating, as if cut off; truncate. [First attested in the early 19th century.]

   (Can we find and add a quotation of en to this entry?)

Synonyms

• (precipitous): broken, rough, rugged
• (without time to prepare): sudden; see also Thesaurus:sudden
• (uncivil): blunt, brusque
• (without transition): disconnected, unexpected

Translations

Verb

abrupt (third-person singular simple present abrupts, present participle abrupting, simple past and past participle abrupted)

1. (transitive, archaic) To tear off or asunder. [First attested in the mid 17th century.]
   • 1643, Thomas Browne, Religio Medici

     Till death abrupts them.

2. To interrupt suddenly. [First attested in the mid 17th century.]

Translations

Noun

abrupt (plural abrupts)

1. (poetic) Something which is abrupt; an abyss. [First attested in the mid 17th century.]

Translations

References

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin abruptus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.b?ypt/

Adjective

abrupt (feminine singular abrupte, masculine plural abrupts, feminine plural abruptes)

1. Extremely steep, near vertical.
2. Curt and abrupt.
3. Done or said forwardly and without caution to avoid shocking.

Derived terms

• abruptement

Further reading

• “abrupt” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin abruptus.

Pronunciation

Adjective

abrupt (comparative abrupter, superlative am abruptesten)

1. abrupt, suddenly
2. jerkingly

Declension

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Latin abruptus (“broken off”), perfect passive participle of abrump? (“break off”), formed from ab (“from, away from”) + rump? (“to break”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a?br?pt/
• Rhymes: -?pt
• Hyphenation: ab?rupt

Adjective

abrupt (neuter singular abrupt, definite singular and plural abrupte, comparative mer abrupt, superlative mest abrupt)

1. abrupt (having sudden transitions from one subject or state to another; unconnected; disjointed)

   abrupte setninger

   abrupt sentences

   abrupt tale

   abrupt speech

Synonyms

• plutselig (“suddenly”)
• brå (“abrupt”)

Derived terms

• abrupthet (“abruptness”)

References

• “abrupt” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “abrupt” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
• “abrupt” in Store norske leksikon

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French abrupt, Latin abruptus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a?brupt/

Adjective

abrupt m or n (feminine singular abrupt?, masculine plural abrup?i, feminine and neuter plural abrupte)

1. abrupt
2. extremely steep, near vertical

Declension

References

Swedish

Pronunciation

Adjective

abrupt

1. abrupt, sudden

Declension

Adverb

abrupt

1. suddenly

Synonyms

• plötsligt

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /bl?f/
• Rhymes: -?f

Etymology 1

Probably from Dutch bluffen (“to brag”), from Middle Dutch bluffen (“to make something swell; to bluff”); or from the Dutch noun bluf (“bragging”). Related to German verblüffen (“to stump, perplex”).

Noun

bluff (countable and uncountable, plural bluffs)

1. An act of bluffing; a false expression of the strength of one's position in order to intimidate; braggadocio.

2. (poker) An attempt to represent oneself as holding a stronger hand than one actually does.

3. (US, dated) The card game poker.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Bartlett to this entry?)

4. One who bluffs; a bluffer.
5. (slang, dated) An excuse.

Derived terms

• call someone's bluff

Translations

Verb

bluff (third-person singular simple present bluffs, present participle bluffing, simple past and past participle bluffed)

1. (poker) To make a bluff; to give the impression that one's hand is stronger than it is.

2. (by analogy) To frighten or deter with a false show of strength or confidence; to give a false impression of strength or temerity in order to intimidate and gain some advantage.

3. To take advantage by bluffing.

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

Related to Middle Low German blaff (“smooth”).

Noun

bluff (plural bluffs)

1. A high, steep bank, for example by a river or the sea, or beside a ravine or plain; a cliff with a broad face.
3. (Canadian Prairies) A small wood or stand of trees, typically poplar or willow.

Derived terms

• Council Bluffs
• DeValls Bluff
• Red Bluff
• Scotts Bluff County

Translations

Adjective

bluff (comparative bluffer, superlative bluffest)

1. Having a broad, flattened front.

2. Rising steeply with a flat or rounded front.
   • 1769, William Falconer, "Côte en écore" (entry in An Universal Dictionary of the Marine)

     a bluff or bold shore

   • 1845, Sylvester Judd, Margaret: A Tale of the Real and the Ideal, Blight and Bloom; Including Sketches of a Place Not Before Described, Called Mons Christi

     Its banks, if not really steep, had a bluff and precipitous aspect.

3. Surly; churlish; gruff; rough.
   • 1883: Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island

     […] he had a bluff, rough-and-ready face, all roughened and reddened and lined in his long travels.

4. Roughly frank and hearty in one's manners.

   Synonyms: abrupt, unceremonious, blunt, brusque

   • 1832, Isaac Taylor, Saturday Evening

     There is indeed a bluff pertinacity which is a proper defence in a moment of surprise.

Translations

Etymology 3

Possibly onomatopoeic, perhaps related to blow and puff.

Verb

bluff (third-person singular simple present bluffs, present participle bluffing, simple past and past participle bluffed)

1. To fluff, puff or swell up.

Translations

References

• “bluff” in the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, Second Edition, Oxford University Press, 2004.

Further reading

• bluff on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Bluff in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

Danish

Alternative forms

• bluf

Etymology

Borrowed from English bluff.

Noun

bluff n

1. bluff

Related terms

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English bluff.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blœf/

Noun

bluff m (plural bluffs)

1. (chiefly card games) bluff

Further reading

• “bluff” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from English bluff.

Noun

bluff c

1. a bluff

Declension

Related terms

• bluffa
• bluffare
• bluffmakare