Definition of bravado
bravadoes
orbravados
1a : blustering swaggering conduct youthful bravadob : a pretense of bravery
2 : the quality or state of being foolhardy
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Examples of bravado in a Sentence
His stories are always told with bravado.
I remember his youthful bravado.
Recent Examples of bravado from the Web
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To sit with the wisdom of our experience, enjoying the bravado of naivete at a comfortable remove?
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That resolve would be tested when Jackson grew into one of the best high school prospects in the country, a designation that begs for bravado.
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When the lanky singer walked on stage, his deep, soulful voice resonated loudly over his four-piece band's own grinding bravado.
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Free-agent guard Dion Waiters has turned his one-year audition with the Miami Heat -- a season filled with bravado and big-moments shots -- into a four-year return engagement.
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Cohn, with his bravado, reckless opportunism, legal pyrotechnics, and serial fabrication, became a fitting mentor for the young real-estate scion.
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His stage persona included aspects of fist-pumping rap bravado, with uninhibited skipping, and occasional Michael Jackson-like dance moves.
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One show is a docuseries (another term for a reality show) that follows Lonzo, Liangelo and LaMelo Ball, three brothers and supremely talented basketball players whose father, LaVar Ball, is known for his bravado and outlandish claims.
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Cohn, with his bravado, reckless opportunism, legal pyrotechnics, and serial fabrication, became a fitting mentor for the young real-estate scion.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bravado.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Bravado ultimately traces to the Old Italian adjective bravo, meaning "courageous" or "wild." Nowadays, the wildness once associated with bravado has been tamed to an overbearing boldness that comes from arrogance or a position of power. Celebrities, political or corporate giants, and the schoolyard bully may all show bravado (though they often turn out to be not so tough after all). Bravado is also used for show-offish, daring acts that seem reckless and inconsistent with good sense, but might, nonetheless, be applauded with shouts of Bravo! when successful. The spectacular feats of stuntmen come to mind, for example.
Origin and Etymology of bravado
Middle French bravade & Old Spanish bravata, from Old Italian bravata, from bravare to challenge, show off, from bravo
BRAVADO Defined for English Language Learners
bravado
playDefinition of bravado for English Language Learners
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: confident or brave talk or behavior that is intended to impress other people
Learn More about bravado
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Spanish Central: Translation of bravado Nglish: Translation of bravado for Spanish speakers
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