buffeting: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, Literary, Technical (especially in aviation, meteorology, and engineering contexts).
Quick answer
What does “buffeting” mean?
The action of striking something repeatedly and violently, especially by wind or waves.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The action of striking something repeatedly and violently, especially by wind or waves.
Forceful and repeated impact, often creating a shaking or battering effect; metaphorically, experiencing repeated challenges, setbacks, or difficulties.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Spelling is consistent.
Connotations
Slightly more common in British English in weather/maritime contexts. In American English, may be slightly more associated with aviation turbulence.
Frequency
Low frequency in both variants, but slightly higher in British English corpora.
Grammar
How to Use “buffeting” in a Sentence
The [NOUN] took a severe buffeting from the [NOUN].The [NOUN] was subjected to constant buffeting by [NOUN].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “buffeting” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Gale-force winds buffeted the coast all night.
- The small boat was buffeted by the choppy seas.
American English
- The scandal buffeted the senator's campaign.
- The aircraft buffeted violently through the storm.
adjective
British English
- The buffeting winds made it impossible to walk in a straight line.
- We sought shelter from the buffeting rain.
American English
- The buffeting gusts caused damage to the roof.
- He braced himself against the buffeting force.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
The company took a financial buffeting during the recession.
Academic
The model simulates the aerodynamic buffeting experienced by the structure.
Everyday
We felt the buffeting of the wind as we walked along the cliff top.
Technical
The pilot reported severe clear-air buffeting at 35,000 feet.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “buffeting”
- Confusing the noun 'buffeting' with the verb 'to buffet' (pronounced /ˈbʌfeɪ/ meaning to serve food).
- Misspelling as 'buffetting' (double 't').
- Using it for a single, decisive blow instead of repeated impacts.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, they are false friends. 'Buffeting' comes from the Old French 'buffeter' (to strike). The meal 'buffet' comes from a different French word meaning a sideboard.
Very rarely. Its core semantics involve forceful, unsettling, or damaging impact, making it almost exclusively negative or neutral in describing forceful phenomena.
'Buffeting' implies larger-scale, often irregular and forceful impacts from an external medium (like air or water), causing shaking. 'Vibration' typically refers to rapid, regular, often smaller oscillations, which can be internal.
Yes. Regardless of whether it's the noun or the present participle/gerund, the pronunciation is consistently /ˈbʌfɪtɪŋ/.
The action of striking something repeatedly and violently, especially by wind or waves.
Buffeting is usually formal, literary, technical (especially in aviation, meteorology, and engineering contexts). in register.
Buffeting: in British English it is pronounced /ˈbʌfɪtɪŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈbʌfɪtɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Take a buffeting”
- “Weather the buffeting”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a BUFFalo repeatedly BUTTING its head against a fence – that's the forceful, repeated action of BUFFeting.
Conceptual Metaphor
PROBLEMS ARE PHYSICAL FORCES (e.g., 'The economy was buffeted by crises'). LIFE/EXPERIENCE IS A JOURNEY THROUGH A STORM (e.g., 'buffeted by fate').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'buffeting' LEAST likely to be used appropriately?