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bombast

noun

ˈbäm-ˌbast How to pronounce bombast (audio)
Definition of bombastnext
1
as in rhetoric
boastful speech or writing the other world leaders at the international conference had little interest in being subjected to the president's bombast

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in grandiloquence
language that is impressive-sounding but not meaningful or sincere you need less bombast and more substance in this speech on human rights

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of bombast The screen is big, the image is sharp and bright, but Nolan’s visual compositions are dull—just pictures of actors acting, without style or poetry—and his fetish for size is just bombast and vanity. — Caroline Mimbs Nyce, New Yorker, 17 July 2026 An album inspired by American Gangster, Ridley Scott’s biopic of legendary Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas, gave Jay-Z a chance to step away from the superstar bombast of Kingdom Come and go back to Reasonable Doubt-style dope game tales. — Al Shipley, SPIN, 14 July 2026 The documentary’s contradiction is right there, enthralling us with the wild achievements Potter pulled off and frustrating us with his bombast, leading us to ponder whether, as The Dark Wizard suggests, either could exist without the other. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 May 2026 The bombast of the song clashes with the aloofness of her style. — Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 21 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bombast
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bombast
  1. rhetoric
  2. grandiloquence
  3. braggadocio
  4. magniloquence
  5. bluster
  6. chatter
Noun
  • The announcement comes after months of escalating rhetoric from the president, who has repeatedly threatened to take over the territory citing national security purposes.
    — Michelle Stoddart, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026
  • One day, there was menacing rhetoric on Truth Social; the next, memes on X of penguins.
    — Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of rhetoric
Noun
  • Much of that singularity was centered in McCarthy’s prose, which ricocheted—sometimes gracefully, sometimes jarringly—between gruff matter-of-factness and soaring, biblical grandiloquence.
    — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 13 June 2023
  • Several of them can fly, and all have at least a touch of grandiloquence to them.
    — Michael Nordine, Variety, 11 Aug. 2022
Definition of grandiloquence
Noun
  • But smokejumpers generally eschew the spotlight—even a hint of braggadocio amid their ranks is looked down upon—and so their work feels especially shrouded.
    — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Against this stripped down but still bumping backdrop, Christmas and Crack’s loose, witty braggadocio shines.
    — Brendan Hay, SPIN, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of braggadocio
Noun
  • Hammy magniloquence risks alienating viewers, not just for an evening but for life, as does obscurity.
    — The Economist, The Economist, 15 Mar. 2018
Definition of magniloquence
Noun
  • De Zerbi is building a new-look squad around highly technical players and — for all his energy, bluster, nous and physicality – Richarlison does not fit that mould.
    — Dan Kilpatrick, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • For all their public bluster, Yemeni government forces remain internally fragmented.
    — April Longley Alley, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of bluster
Noun
  • There’s talk amongst the crowd about the album, but nothing as loud or abrasive as the chatter happening online about everything from her album cover to her single choices to her strong, vocal opinions about her album cover and single choices.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2026
  • And for all the chatter, Jenna and Val’s first routine kind of falls flat anyway.
    — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of chatter

Browse Nearby Words

bombards
bombast
bombastic
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Cite this Entry

“Bombast.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bombast. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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