blowhard

noun

blow·​hard ˈblō-ˌhärd How to pronounce blowhard (audio)
plural blowhards
: an arrogantly and pompously boastful or opinionated person : braggart, windbag
… was trapped in a hellish marriage to … a struttingly insensitive macho blowhard.Owen Gleiberman
But he was seen by many in Congress as a blowhard, given to long-winded talks bristling with allusions to the Bible, ancient history, and the Constitution.Thomas E. Ricks

Examples of blowhard in a Sentence

a politician who is the stereotypical backslapping blowhard a blowhard who always had to act like she was better than anyone else
Recent Examples on the Web For most of the rest of his career, Keith was a sly humorist, a good-natured blowhard, a chronicler of what really happens below thick skin. Jon Caramanica, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2024 Keith further solidified his reputation — an outspoken patriot to some, an obnoxious blowhard to others — by way of a public dispute with Natalie Maines of the then- Dixie Chicks. Nadine Smith, Rolling Stone, 6 Feb. 2024 Haley takes fire and Christie calls Ramaswamy an ‘obnoxious blowhard’ in GOP debate A few things were clear after last night’s Republican debate in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where the four remaining candidates battled for voters’ attention. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 7 Dec. 2023 Reagan had no respect for blowhards and egomanics, regardless of party. George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2023 If the man on the street sounds like a blowhard, hyperpartisanship explains why. Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 25 July 2023 Just think of the sequel, when an Airhead wants to bring her Earth boyfriend home from college to meet her blowhard father. Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 14 June 2023 Change will come for good, because the thing the blowhards fear most has already come to pass. Yvonne Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 3 June 2023 His persona: comic blowhard. Maria Puente, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blowhard.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1848, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of blowhard was in 1848

Dictionary Entries Near blowhard

Cite this Entry

“Blowhard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blowhard. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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