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
1
: of the color buff
2
or buffed
: having a physique enhanced by bodybuilding exercises
buffed; buffing; buffs
2
: to give a velvety surface to (leather)
Synonyms
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
Michael Schneider, Variety, 22 June 2024
But the real highlight for me was Liz hamming it up while Venus and Q bickered back and forth beside her — making goofy faces, pulling her buff over her eyes, and trying to get Jeff’s licorice out of her teeth.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 8 May 2024
Olivia Cigliano, WWD, 26 June 2024
Young shoppers are taking cues from influencers like Jeremy Fragrance, a buff German man with 8.8 million followers on the platform.
—Callie Holtermann, New York Times, 19 May 2024
Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 1 July 2024
Which leads us to… Mechanical Exfoliation Another form of physical exfoliation, mechanical leverages tech-savvy devices to buff the complexion.
—Kari Molvar, Vogue, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for buff 
Noun
An architecture buff, Kellner also designed and built numerous homes.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 22 June 2024
But the real highlight for me was Liz hamming it up while Venus and Q bickered back and forth beside her — making goofy faces, pulling her buff over her eyes, and trying to get Jeff’s licorice out of her teeth.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 8 May 2024
Adjective
Its dense, yet super soft bristles quickly buff makeup into the skin without absorbing excess product, making for a seamless blending secret weapon.
—Olivia Cigliano, WWD, 26 June 2024
Young shoppers are taking cues from influencers like Jeremy Fragrance, a buff German man with 8.8 million followers on the platform.
—Callie Holtermann, New York Times, 19 May 2024
Verb
Method 2: Ketchup Buffing Rinse the pewter item(s) in warm water with a mild soap to remove residue and dust.
Squeeze ketchup on a soft cloth and buff it into the pewter design.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 1 July 2024
Which leads us to… Mechanical Exfoliation Another form of physical exfoliation, mechanical leverages tech-savvy devices to buff the complexion.
—Kari Molvar, Vogue, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for buff
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.
Dictionary Entries Near buff
Cite this Entry
“Buff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buff. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
buff
1 of 3 noun1
: 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
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