bravado

noun

bra·​va·​do brə-ˈvä-(ˌ)dō How to pronounce bravado (audio)
plural bravadoes or bravados
1
a
: blustering swaggering conduct
youthful bravado
b
: a pretense of bravery
2
: the quality or state of being foolhardy

Did you know?

Displays of bravado may be show-offish, daring, reckless, and inconsistent with good sense—take, for example, the spectacular feats of stuntpeople—but when successful they are still likely to be met with shouts of "bravo!" Celebrities, political leaders, corporate giants, and schoolyard bullies, however, may show a different flavor of bravado: one that suggests an overbearing boldness that comes from arrogance or a position of power. The word bravado originally comes from the Old Italian adjective bravo, meaning "wild" or "courageous," which English has also to thank for the more ubiquitous brave.

Examples of bravado in a Sentence

His stories are always told with bravado. I remember his youthful bravado.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Roca’s maneuvers have both a theatrical elegance and a fearsome daring; his bravado is refined by his bravery, his defiant gaze challenging not just the bull but death itself. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 24 June 2025 Almost as if in revolt against the global financial environment, the cultural zeitgeist is demanding some unapologetic bravado. Naomi Rougeau, Robb Report, 22 June 2025 McDermott’s game and bravado soon carried him to victory at the Philadelphia Open. Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025 Trump's version of power, however, is modeled on a shallow and superficial grasp of the bar takeover in Goodfellas—all chest-puffing bravado, but without the discipline, foresight, or grasp of power dynamics that true grand strategy requires. Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for bravado

Word History

Etymology

Middle French bravade & Old Spanish bravata, from Old Italian bravata, from bravare to challenge, show off, from bravo

First Known Use

circa 1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of bravado was circa 1580

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Cite this Entry

“Bravado.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bravado. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

bravado

noun
bra·​va·​do brə-ˈväd-ō How to pronounce bravado (audio)
plural bravadoes or bravados
: a display of reckless or pretended bravery

More from Merriam-Webster on bravado

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