Synonyms of bombastic

bombastic

adjective

bäm-ˈba-stik 

as in rhetorical

marked by the use of impressive-sounding but mostly meaningless words and phrases

a bombastic speech intended to impress the voters in her congressional district

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rhetorical
• inflated
• pontifical
• grandiloquent
• gaseous
• oratorical
• ornate
• flatulent
• gassy
• fustian
• grandiose
• windy
• pretentious
• orotund
• turgid
• pompous
• florid
• bloated
• flowery
• elevated
• stilted
• lofty
• high-sounding
• wordy
• verbose
• high-flown
• tumid
• highfalutin
• overdone

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• eloquent
• direct
• simple
• plain
• matter-of-fact
• unrhetorical
• straightforward
• unadorned
• unaffected
• bald
• stark
• unpretentious
• well-spoken
• plainspoken

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of bombastic

Some of these movies manage to hold viewers’ attention with bombastic action scenes that command focus on a big screen. — Isabel Fattal, The Atlantic, 18 July 2026

Historic World Cup clashes, controversial refereeing calls, viral locker-room videos and a bombastic TV rant have deepened resentment, turning Argentina–Mexico tensions into a proxy battle over class, race and nationalism. — Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026

Emboldened by her sudden fame, Tyler signed to Sony in the early 1980s and, anxious to reinvent herself, petitioned the bombastic songwriter Jim Steinman to plot her a pivot to arena rock. — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 9 July 2026

Clive was big, and bombastic, and brave, and full of ideas, and just believed, believed, believed, believed. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2026