bombastic

adjective

bom·​bas·​tic bäm-ˈba-stik 

: marked by or given to speech or writing that is given exaggerated importance by artificial or empty means : marked by or given to bombast : pompous, overblown

The spots that ran before the title game were even more bombastic: "The greatest rivalry ever …"

—Franz Lidz

bombastically

bäm-ˈba-sti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms of bombastic

• rhetorical
• inflated
• pontifical

Examples of bombastic in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

For the 2026 edition, by far the biggest in the competition’s 96-year history, even that grandiose billing is nothing like bombastic enough. —Oliver Kay, New York Times, 11 June 2026

At times during his bombastic, table-shaking, enigmatic career, the singer, arranger, musician, and producer came off as a restless indie artist masquerading as a multiplatinum megastar. —Keith Murphy, VIBE.com, 7 June 2026

In addition to Galitzine, Idris Elba gets to chew on scenery and a redemption arc as Teela’s battle-ready dad Man-At-Arms, and Jared Leto pulls off his most enjoyable role in years, melding bombastic theatricality and bad-boss vibes as Skeletor. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 2 June 2026

Dirden played the bombastic Pozzo, a traveler who crosses paths with the pair, while Michael Patrick Thornton portrayed his servant, Lucky. —Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

bombast + -ic entry 1

First Known Use

1648, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bombastic

• aplastic
• dynastic
• dysplastic
• elastic
• fantastic
• gymnastic
• monastic
• sarcastic
• scholastic
• silastic
• stochastic
• aeroelastic