Bluffness
/ˈblʌf.nəs/noun
The quality of being blunt, direct, or good-naturedly outspoken; also, in older usage, the state of being bluff or steep.
Did you know?The core word bluff likely came from a Dutch or Low German word meaning “puffed up” or “bulging,” and English later used it for steep faces, then for a bold, rough manner of speaking.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bhel-
“to swell, blow, or inflate”
Old Dutch / Low German
Germanic
bluff
“bulging, puffed out, or projecting”
16th Century
English
bluff
“a steep bank, cliff, or projecting face”
17th Century
English
bluff
“rough, frank, or blunt in manner; also direct speech”
19th Century
English
bluffness
“the quality of being bluntly direct or rough in manner”