grandiloquence

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noun gran·dil·o·quence \ gran-ˈdi-lə-kwən(t)s \

Definition of grandiloquence

:a lofty, extravagantly colorful, pompous, or bombastic style, manner, or quality especially in language

was urged to follow up his grandiloquence with positive action

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grandiloquent

play \gran-ˈdi-lə-kwənt\ adjective

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grandiloquently

adverb

See grandiloquence defined for kids

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Examples of grandiloquence in a Sentence

a heavyweight champion who was famous for his entertaining grandiloquence prior to every match
the predictably wearisome grandiloquence of the speeches at a political convention

Recent Examples of grandiloquence from the Web

Rose’s plain-spokenness is the necessary counterweight to her husband’s grandiloquence.

— a. o. scott, New York Times, "Review: Beneath the Bombast, ‘Fences’ Has an Aching Poetry," 15 Dec. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'grandiloquence.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Grandiloquence, which first appeared in English in the late 16th century, is one of several English words pertaining to speech that derive from the Latin loqui, meaning "to speak." Other offspring of "loqui" include "eloquent" ("marked by fluent expression"), "loquacious" ("full of excessive talk"), and "soliloquy" ("a long dramatic monologue"). "Grandiloquence" comes (probably via Middle French) from the Latin adjective grandiloquus, which combines "loqui" and the adjective "grandis" ("grand or great"). A word that is very similar in meaning to "grandiloquence" is "magniloquence" - and the similarity is not surprising. "Magniloquence" combines "loqui" with "magnus," another Latin word meaning "great."