as in rhetoric
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
Again and again, the band falls (petulantly, peevishly, with English accents and English swear words) into the gap between its bombastic self-image and the facts on the ground, the dwindling ticket sales and tiny sandwiches and spontaneously combusting drummers.
—
James Parker, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025
Borderlands 4 is set to be the series' most bombastic and full-featured game yet, and early previews for the game have been very positive so far.
—Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Frankenstein is loud, bombastic, sublime and silly.
—Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Weapons' lifetime gross is still far afield of its closest horror competitor this year, Ryan Coogler's bombastic vampire thriller Sinners.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 24 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bombastic
James Parker, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2025
Borderlands 4 is set to be the series' most bombastic and full-featured game yet, and early previews for the game have been very positive so far.
—Oliver Brandt, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
Frankenstein is loud, bombastic, sublime and silly.
—Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
Weapons' lifetime gross is still far afield of its closest horror competitor this year, Ryan Coogler's bombastic vampire thriller Sinners.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 24 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bombastic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bombastic
rhetorical
Adjective
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But Chicago and New York are Democratic strongholds and frequent targets of the president’s rhetorical ire, so the moves on spending are plainly perceived as a new front in the shutdown battle.—
Niall Stanage,
The Hill,
5 Oct. 2025
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Every argument has a rational, emotional, and rhetorical component.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bombastic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bombastic. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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