1
: a blow especially with the hand
2
: something that strikes with telling force
buffeted; buffeting; buffets
1
: to strike sharply especially with the hand : cuff
2
: to strike repeatedly : batter
the waves buffeted the shore
3
: to drive, force, move, or attack by or as if by repeated blows
schools being buffeted by budget cuts
: to make one's way especially under difficult conditions
plural buffets
1
furniture
: sideboard sense 1
2
a
: a counter for refreshments
went back to the buffet for a second helping
b
chiefly British
: a restaurant operated as a public convenience (as in a railway station)
c
: a meal set out on a buffet or table for ready access and informal service
a restaurant that offers a breakfast buffet
3
: an assortment of options or offerings : variety
Once you're up there among the clouds, you'll have a buffet of skiing options.—
Brad Wetzler
Brad Wetzler
: served informally especially as a buffet (see buffet entry 3 sense 2c)
a buffet meal
buffet luncheons
Synonyms
Noun (1)
- bang
- bash
- bat
- beat
- belt
- biff
- blow
- bop
- box
- bust
- chop
- clap
- clip
- clout
- crack
- cuff
- dab
- douse [British]
- fillip
- hack
- haymaker
- hit
- hook
- knock
- larrup [dialect]
- lash
- lick
- pelt
- pick
- plump
- poke
- pound
- punch
- rap
- slam
- slap
- slug
- smack
- smash
- sock
- spank
- stinger
- stripe
- stroke
- swat
- swipe
- switch
- thud
- thump
- thwack
- wallop
- welt
- whack
- wham
- whop
- whap
Verb
- bash
- baste
- bat
- batter
- beat
- belabor
- belt
- birch
- bludgeon
- bung up
- club
- curry
- do
- drub
- fib [British]
- flog
- hammer
- hide
- lace
- lambaste
- lambast
- lash
- lather
- lick
- maul
- mess (up)
- paddle
- pelt
- pommel
- pound
- pummel
- punch out
- rough (up)
- slate
- slog
- switch
- tan
- thrash
- thresh
- thump
- tromp
- wallop
- whale
- whip
- whop
- whap
- whup
- work over
Noun (2)
Examples of buffet in a Sentence
Noun (1)
delivered a powerful buffet to the side of the prisoner's head
Verb
The strong winds buffeted the ship.
fierce winds buffeted the small sailboat
Noun (2)
a buffet completed the kitchen set
Recent Examples on the WebLauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 8 May 2024
The Mother’s Day buffet will open from 9:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.
—Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 6 May 2024
Mother's Day brunch events in Greater Cincinnati Bell Event Centre - 444 Reading Road, Pendleton.
Enjoy live music, a photo booth and bottomless mimosas or bloody marys with an all-you-can-eat brunch buffet from noon to 3 p.m.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 6 May 2024
Teachers get 20% off one adult buffet purchases from Monday to Friday, May 6-10.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 5 May 2024
The brunch will feature a main buffet, cold selection station and dessert bar.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 5 May 2024
Because climate change can drive fish populations to relocate, Ratner said, the seafood buffet in the San Francisco Bay doesn't mean there's more fish overall.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 4 May 2024
The ship provides a self-serve buffet on the Lido deck, which is a clothes-free area.
—Miami Herald Archive, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024
And while the self-serve buffet on the pool deck is a clothes-free area, passengers must be dressed for all dining room meals – and no, bathrobes don't count.
—Li Cohen, CBS News, 2 May 2024
Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2024
Separately, a whirlwind of litigation has buffeted the tower.
—George Avalos, The Mercury News, 1 May 2024
He’d been buffeted by History, every bit as much as his son.
—Nick Bowlin, Harper's Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Diageo has already felt the chill of headwinds buffeting the wider luxury sector.
—Angus MacKinnon, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024
Debris — thick branches, leaves and dirt — lined the streets of the Curtis Park neighborhood after powerful winds buffeted the capital region for more than eight hours Sunday.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 5 Feb. 2024
The crosswinds also were strong at San Diego International Airport, buffeting commercial jets throughout the morning.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2024
The story is a familiar one — a young immigrant fetches up in New York to seek his fortune, only to be buffeted by a bumptious city and cut to the quick by its competitive edge — but Torres reshapes it into something simultaneously more fantastical and far more real.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024
The election interference case in Georgia against former President Donald Trump has been buffeted by an effort to disqualify Fani Willis, the main prosecutor, over her romantic relationship with a colleague.
—Richard Fausset, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024
Julian Kheel, CNN Underscored, 1 June 2020
Noun
Those looking to get the most bang for their buck can — and should — take advantage of Vegas’ seemingly endless buffets, says DePesa.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 8 May 2024
The Mother’s Day buffet will open from 9:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.
—Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 6 May 2024
Mother's Day brunch events in Greater Cincinnati Bell Event Centre - 444 Reading Road, Pendleton.
Enjoy live music, a photo booth and bottomless mimosas or bloody marys with an all-you-can-eat brunch buffet from noon to 3 p.m.
—Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 6 May 2024
Teachers get 20% off one adult buffet purchases from Monday to Friday, May 6-10.
—Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 5 May 2024
The brunch will feature a main buffet, cold selection station and dessert bar.
—Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 5 May 2024
Because climate change can drive fish populations to relocate, Ratner said, the seafood buffet in the San Francisco Bay doesn't mean there's more fish overall.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 4 May 2024
The ship provides a self-serve buffet on the Lido deck, which is a clothes-free area.
—Miami Herald Archive, Miami Herald, 3 May 2024
And while the self-serve buffet on the pool deck is a clothes-free area, passengers must be dressed for all dining room meals – and no, bathrobes don't count.
—Li Cohen, CBS News, 2 May 2024
Verb
The agency was also buffeted by a class action lawsuit alleging that many L.A. residents were overcharged for sewer services, which led to the creation of a $57.5-million settlement fund to pay for customer refunds.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2024
Separately, a whirlwind of litigation has buffeted the tower.
—George Avalos, The Mercury News, 1 May 2024
He’d been buffeted by History, every bit as much as his son.
—Nick Bowlin, Harper's Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
Diageo has already felt the chill of headwinds buffeting the wider luxury sector.
—Angus MacKinnon, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024
Debris — thick branches, leaves and dirt — lined the streets of the Curtis Park neighborhood after powerful winds buffeted the capital region for more than eight hours Sunday.
—Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 5 Feb. 2024
The crosswinds also were strong at San Diego International Airport, buffeting commercial jets throughout the morning.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Feb. 2024
The story is a familiar one — a young immigrant fetches up in New York to seek his fortune, only to be buffeted by a bumptious city and cut to the quick by its competitive edge — but Torres reshapes it into something simultaneously more fantastical and far more real.
—Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024
The election interference case in Georgia against former President Donald Trump has been buffeted by an effort to disqualify Fani Willis, the main prosecutor, over her romantic relationship with a colleague.
—Richard Fausset, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Customers can expect to see non-buffet-style food options, and social distancing will likely require a reduction in the number of people allowed in the usually crowded lounges.
—Julian Kheel, CNN Underscored, 1 June 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'buffet.' 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 buffet
Cite this Entry
“Buffet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buffet. Accessed 13 May. 2024.
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