Puffery
/ˈpʌfəri/noun
Exaggerated or flashy praise, especially in advertising or promotion.
Did you know?“Puffery” is a modern English word built from “puff,” and in law and advertising it often means the kind of exaggerated claims that sound persuasive but are not meant to be taken as literal fact.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
puffian
“to blow in little gusts or emit puffs”
Middle English
ME
puffen
“to blow, pant, or emit breath in short bursts”
16th Century
English
puff
“a short blast of breath, wind, or smoke”
18th Century
English
puffery
“excessive or inflated praise, especially in promotion”
Modern English
English
puffery
“exaggerated or promotional language that overstates something's merits”