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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
But Kimmel shamed him into doing it anyway, and the exceedingly buff and hairless Cena crab-walked sideways across the stage, his privates seemingly covered only by a large envelope. USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024 First run Trivia buffs will note that Burt scored the first one. Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Mar. 2024 Nostalgia buffs will enjoy the fact that Gloria is played by Betty Buckley, who established her horror bona fides so many years ago in the original Carrie (and more recently in M. Night Shyamalan’s Split). Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2024 There was one detail that was curiously missing, especially for performance buffs—any mention of the vehicle’s transmission. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2024 But will the second chapter be able to expand its fanbase of sci-fi buffs? Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 27 Feb. 2024 Some heroes have been given buffs, although none seem to be quite as big as the nerfs handed out. Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 Gamble, an heir to the Procter & Gamble soap fortune, was a sociologist, China scholar and photography buff. Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 As with any deck builder, new cards/buffs could be added or removed at any time that completely change the complexion of the game and force you to rethink tactics. Barry Collins, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Spora grew out of Alchemist’s Copenhagen test kitchen, where chefs still shape and puff and buff dishes during the first part of each night’s meal. Charlotte Lytton, Washington Post, 11 Mar. 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 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
Verb
Its fine crystals gently buffed away our patches of contact dermatitis. Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024 To remove your gel polish like the salons, Gatlin recommends starting by buffing off the shiny layer of polish. Addie Morton, Southern Living, 6 Feb. 2024 Minor scratches can sometimes be removed by buffing them with a soft cloth and a slightly gritty, non-gel toothpaste. Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 19 Jan. 2024 Some of the bags had light scuff marks that could be buffed out. Anna Popp, Travel + Leisure, 30 Jan. 2024 It had not been buffed to the highest possible sheen. Rory Smith, New York Times, 27 Jan. 2024 The bristles are durable and flexible, and don’t shed when buffing out the foundation. Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 3 Jan. 2024 Yes, during several of our lab durability tests, these suitcases sustained minor scratches, but each suitcase comes with a magic eraser to buff out any marks. Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 11 Jan. 2024 Her cheeks were sculpted with contour and buffed with a pink blush. Gabi Thorne, Allure, 22 Sep. 2023

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 19 Mar. 2024.

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

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