bravado

noun

bra·​va·​do brə-ˈvä-(ˌ)dō 

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

Capable of earning respect from older players who can sense false bravado. —Alec Lewis, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025

In the film, Zenovich attempts to bring viewers into Chase’s inner world through interviews with his family, friends and co-stars, revealing what is beneath the surface of his bravado. —Leo Barraclough, Variety, 13 Oct. 2025

And unlike other trinkets that Trump secured through bravado and bluster, the international panel did not bend. —Philip Elliott, Time, 10 Oct. 2025

The belief that art could build a life from scratch is what gives his Grofield a sly depth beneath the bravado. —Okla Jones, Essence, 9 Oct. 2025

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

Rhymes for bravado

• machado
• mikado
• adelantado
• avocado
• desperado
• incommunicado

Kids Definition

bravado

noun

bra·​va·​do brə-ˈväd-ō 

plural bravadoes or bravados

: a display of reckless or pretended bravery