Synonyms of bombastic

bombastic

adjective

bäm-ˈba-stik 

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rhetorical
• inflated
• pontifical
• grandiloquent
• gaseous
• oratorical
• ornate
• flatulent
• gassy
• fustian
• grandiose
• windy
• pretentious
• orotund
• turgid
• pompous
• florid
• bloated
• flowery
• elevated
• stilted
• lofty
• high-sounding
• wordy
• verbose
• high-flown
• tumid
• highfalutin
• overdone

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• eloquent
• direct
• simple
• plain
• matter-of-fact
• unrhetorical
• straightforward
• unadorned
• unaffected
• bald
• stark
• unpretentious
• well-spoken
• plainspoken

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of bombastic

Clive was big, and bombastic, and brave, and full of ideas, and just believed, believed, believed, believed. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2026

There’s a strange irony—though, perhaps, little surprise—that this is how the bombastic Tory politico is now spending his time. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 25 June 2026

The show has evolved over its long tenure, but its bombastic 50th season managed to both capture the spirit of the show's origins and honor its long legacy. — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 17 June 2026

For the 2026 edition, by far the biggest in the competition’s 96-year history, even that grandiose billing is nothing like bombastic enough. — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 13 June 2026