as in rhetorical
marked by the use of impressive-sounding but mostly meaningless words and phrases
a bombastic speech intended to impress the voters in her congressional district
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Recent Examples of bombastic
Trump’s rhetoric, if unusually bombastic, even unsettling, was nonetheless bound by existing institutions.
—
Jason Blakely, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Wunmi Mosaku stands out in Sinners despite delivering the film’s least bombastic performance.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
The language of science is measured and provisional; the language of politics is declarative and bombastic.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2025
The Safe Soss gear is a little less bombastic.
—New Atlas, 27 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bombastic
Jason Blakely, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Wunmi Mosaku stands out in Sinners despite delivering the film’s least bombastic performance.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
The language of science is measured and provisional; the language of politics is declarative and bombastic.
—Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2025
The Safe Soss gear is a little less bombastic.
—New Atlas, 27 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bombastic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bombastic
Adjective
-
The Four Freedoms Roosevelt named were not rhetorical ornaments offered as inspiration so much as a diagnosis.—
Philip Martin,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
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Most Venezuelans who are smart recognize that this is a rhetorical device.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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For the majority of investors, the considerable execution risks and inflated valuations render Moderna an undesirable investment despite the thrilling clinical news from yesterday.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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And while some health trends are a bit inflated—in this case, the hype is well-deserved.—
Kristine Thomason,
Vogue,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The bishops further authorized a new edition of the Roman Pontifical for pontifical Masses, expected to be completed by 2027, with Vatican approval pending for some rites, according to the Catholic News Agency.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Nov. 2025
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In its report, the pontifical commission highlights failures in the Italian church.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bombastic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bombastic. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
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