grandiloquence
noun
Did you know?
Grandiloquence is a word for highfalutin speech that itself has somewhat of a highfalutin ring. It’s one of several English words related to speech that come from the Latin verb loqui, meaning “to speak,” including loquacious (“full of excessive talk”), soliloquy (“a long, dramatic monologue”), and, notably, eloquence, which refers to the ability to speak or write well and in an effective or persuasive way. Those who use grandiloquence in their speech or prose could also be described as a bit extra in their attempts at eloquence—the grand in grandiloquence traces back to the Latin adjective grandis meaning “great” or “grand.”
Examples of grandiloquence in a Sentence
Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 13 June 2023
Several of them can fly, and all have at least a touch of grandiloquence to them.
—Michael Nordine, Variety, 11 Aug. 2022
Rylance plays him with chest puffed out into grandiloquence, the painful shuffle of a man with no unbroken bones, and the periodic grace of a pixie.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 14 June 2022
At least some of the grandiloquence proved justified.
—Idrees Kahloon, The New Yorker, 16 May 2022
Many times, vision statements end up being washed up by grandiloquence.
—Nacho De Marco, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2022
There will be plenty more rhetoric, pomposity and grandiloquence in the next few weeks as negotiations between the union and MLB get hot and heavy.
—Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY, 13 May 2020
Behind the grandiloquence of his note was a young man, alone, under extraordinary stress.
—Barton Gellman, Washington Post, 11 May 2020
His most recent high-profile job, foreign secretary, found him ill at ease in a role that required more gravitas than grandiloquence.
—Benjamin Mueller, New York Times, 22 July 2019
Cite this Entry
“Grandiloquence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grandiloquence. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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grandiloquence
noun
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