bravado
noun
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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
Chris Foran, Journal Sentinel, 14 July 2024
Such casual grace is rare among male European and American watch collectors, who often infuse competitive bravado into their claims on horological knowledge.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 8 July 2024
He is softly spoken, unassuming and doesn’t come with the usual bravado which is prevalent in a sport full of egos.
—Ben Church, CNN, 17 June 2024
Without losing his trademark dark humor, Leone couples the stylistic bravado of the film’s predecessors to a sense of tragic somberness, focusing on the sacrifices asked by the West and what gets lost as history moves on.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bravado 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bravado.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Bravado.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bravado. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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bravado
noun
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