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
There’s been a quiet but persuasive strain of Americana threading through NYFW, not the bombastic, flag-waving kind, but something more intimate and lived-in.
—
Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 17 Feb. 2026
Williams turns his ear for propulsive and bombastic melodies onto traditional Japanese instrumentation, creating a work that sways between gentle, meditative themes for the titular geisha (Ziyi) and heart-pounding selections to fill out her chaotic, tragic life.
—Alex Galbraith, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
But Vernon, a documentarian and a longtime friend of Nico’s parents, is not drawn as a satirical figure; rather, we are intended to see him as bombastic but appealing—warm, gregarious, freethinking, and probably correct in his concern about Western decline.
—Adelle Waldman, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
Crosby has always been quiet and composed, while Ovechkin barreled into the league all bombastic and boyish.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bombastic
Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 17 Feb. 2026
Williams turns his ear for propulsive and bombastic melodies onto traditional Japanese instrumentation, creating a work that sways between gentle, meditative themes for the titular geisha (Ziyi) and heart-pounding selections to fill out her chaotic, tragic life.
—Alex Galbraith, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
But Vernon, a documentarian and a longtime friend of Nico’s parents, is not drawn as a satirical figure; rather, we are intended to see him as bombastic but appealing—warm, gregarious, freethinking, and probably correct in his concern about Western decline.
—Adelle Waldman, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
Crosby has always been quiet and composed, while Ovechkin barreled into the league all bombastic and boyish.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bombastic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bombastic
Adjective
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Trinidad and Tobago, which has offered practical and rhetorical support to the administration's moves, declined to sign the agreement.—
DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS,
Arkansas Online,
26 Feb. 2026
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Notwithstanding his rhetorical mistake in Atlanta, any future attacks that come from the tour will hold little water given his track record.—
Douglas Schoen,
Oc Register,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Aurélien is one of those rare maisons, a sophisticated fashion house that does not rely on spectacle or inflated positioning yet feels immediately relevant.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
26 Feb. 2026
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Rent to pay Wongchingchai started to worry about the longevity of Thai Soon in 2025, when inflated ingredient prices, depressed sales, looming tax fees and lingering COVID-19 woes pushed her to borrow money from her uncle, her mom and her friends.—
Sarah Blaskovich,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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 5 Mar. 2026.
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