bombastic

[ bom-bas-tik ]
See synonyms for: bombasticbombastically on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. (of speech, writing, etc.) high-sounding; high-flown; inflated; pretentious.

Origin of bombastic

1
First recorded in 1695–1705; bombast + -ic
  • Also bom·bas·ti·cal .

synonym study For bombastic

Bombastic, flowery, pretentious, verbose all describe a use or a user of language more elaborate than is justified by or appropriate to the content being expressed. Bombastic suggests language with a theatricality or staginess of style far too powerful or declamatory for the meaning or sentiment being expressed: a bombastic sermon on the evils of cardplaying. Flowery describes language filled with extravagant images and ornate expressions: a flowery eulogy. Pretentious refers specifically to language that is purposely inflated in an effort to impress: a pretentious essay designed to demonstrate one's sophistication. Verbose characterizes utterances or speakers that use more words than necessary to express an idea: a verbose speech, speaker.

Other words for bombastic

Other words from bombastic

  • bom·bas·ti·cal·ly, adverb
  • un·bom·bas·tic, adjective
  • un·bom·bas·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Words Nearby bombastic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use bombastic in a sentence