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Puffery for Dummies

noun

pronunciation: 'pəfəri

What does Puffery really mean?

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Puffery is a term we use to describe when someone exaggerates or overhypes something in order to make it sound better than it actually is. It's like when someone is trying to sell you something, and they use a lot of fancy words and big promises to make you think it's the best thing ever, even if it's not really true. Let me give you an example to help you understand it better. Imagine you're in a candy store, and you see a big sign that says, "The most delicious, mouth-watering, amazing candy in the world!" Now, that's what we call puffery. It's like the candy store is trying to get you all excited and make you believe their candy is the absolute best, even if it's just regular candy.

Now, puffery can also refer to when people use exaggerated language or claims in advertisements or promotions. You know those commercials that say things like, "This product will make you look ten years younger!" or "You'll never have to worry about cleaning again!"? Well, those are examples of puffery too. They're trying to get you interested in buying their product by making it seem like it's going to solve all of your problems, even if it's not really true.

So, puffery is basically when someone tries to make something seem better than it actually is by using exaggeration and over-the-top language. It's important to be aware of puffery because it's a way that people can manipulate or deceive us, making us believe something that may not be entirely true. It's always good to be critical and think for yourself when you hear or see things that sound too good to be true.

So, what do you think? Does that help you understand what "puffery" means?


Revised and Fact checked by Olivia Brown on 2023-10-28 17:15:29

Puffery In a sentece

Learn how to use Puffery inside a sentece

  • A company advertising a toy might say it's the best toy ever made, even if it may not be true. That's puffery.
  • A restaurant claiming they have the most delicious pizza in the world, even though it's just their opinion, is an example of puffery.
  • An athlete saying they are the fastest runner in history, even if it's just an exaggeration, is puffery.
  • A car commercial claiming their vehicle can fly, even though it's obviously not true, is an instance of puffery.
  • A company advertising a shampoo claiming it can make your hair grow five times faster, even if it's not scientifically proven, is puffery.

Puffery Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.

flattery