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

Gothic visuals and bombastic performances are sure to pull horror buffs into Penny Dreadful's world. —James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Jan. 2026

Trump’s rhetoric, if unusually bombastic, even unsettling, was nonetheless bound by existing institutions. —Jason Blakely, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025

Wunmi Mosaku stands out in Sinners despite delivering the film’s least bombastic performance. —Joe Reid, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025

The language of science is measured and provisional; the language of politics is declarative and bombastic. —Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2025

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