What it means
To buff something is to make it stronger or more effective, especially in gaming when developers boost a character, weapon, or ability so it hits harder, lasts longer, or stops feeling useless. Outside games, people use it for anything that gets a lift. A policy can get buffed, your paycheck can get buffed, and a brutal coffee can buff your whole brain awake. It also has a separate meaning for someone who's muscular.
Usage examples
"They finally buffed the healer, now the class is actually worth playing."
"A strong espresso properly buffs my focus for an hour."
"They buffed the shotgun again, so now every lobby's gonna be pure chaos."
"I chucked on that playlist and it buffed my mood straight away."
Where it comes from
Buff was already an English word long before gaming, tied to polishing, improving, and bringing something up to a better condition. Game culture picked it up in the late 20th century for stat boosts and character upgrades. From there it spilled out into everyday chat for anything that gets a handy little power-up.
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