1
as in rhetoric
boastful speech or writing
his braggadocio hid the fact that he felt personally inadequate
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2
as in braggart
someone who boasts
the swaggering braggadocio is a stock figure of American folklore, with Davy Crockett and Mike Fink being prime examples
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of braggadocio
Trump’s braggadocio State of the Union message about our surging economy and his compassionate ICE raids was the icing on the Circassian cake.
—
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 2026
Sure enough, Son did indeed suffer another precipitous fall, though today is once again brimming with braggadocio.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
The distortions of segregation in the South in the forties left their mark, to be sure, but behind his tropism for the limelight, underneath all the braggadocio that is mistaken for arrogance, lies Jesse Louis Jackson's greatest longing in life—the lust for legitimacy.
—Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
Timmy’s Marty promotional tour was loud and brash — viral Zoom videos, Soulja Boy routines in Brazil, standing atop the Sphere in Las Vegas — and had a lot of people wondering if his decision to adopt a Marty Mauser-style braggadocio would ultimately hurt his chances to win over Oscar voters.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for braggadocio
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 2026
Sure enough, Son did indeed suffer another precipitous fall, though today is once again brimming with braggadocio.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 24 Feb. 2026
The distortions of segregation in the South in the forties left their mark, to be sure, but behind his tropism for the limelight, underneath all the braggadocio that is mistaken for arrogance, lies Jesse Louis Jackson's greatest longing in life—the lust for legitimacy.
—Gail Sheehy, Vanity Fair, 20 Feb. 2026
Timmy’s Marty promotional tour was loud and brash — viral Zoom videos, Soulja Boy routines in Brazil, standing atop the Sphere in Las Vegas — and had a lot of people wondering if his decision to adopt a Marty Mauser-style braggadocio would ultimately hurt his chances to win over Oscar voters.
—Vulture Editors, Vulture, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for braggadocio
Recent Examples of Synonyms for braggadocio
Noun
-
Healey, a former two-term attorney general, is completely disregarding public safety by her reckless rhetoric and actions – all to win another election.—
Joe Battenfeld,
Boston Herald,
4 June 2026
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The escalating rhetoric comes at a critical moment for the two countries, which next month will embark on a review of their free trade agreement with Canada.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2026
Noun
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Not to become a braggart, but to amplify my or our team’s success on projects or risk going unnoticed.—
Lintao "LT" Lu,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Who has time for affected meekness when playing the braggart not only tickles the soul, but has the potential to convince others of one’s own greatness?—
New York Times,
New York Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But not even Footer’s thorough sleuthing has unearthed much more than Bradley’s brag.—
Brian Seibert,
New Yorker,
13 May 2026
-
Humble brag; That turned out to be a stroke of genius on my part.—
Marc Silver,
NPR,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The story is told from Dah’s perspective, as Jocelyn—who displays a quasi-mystical rapport with fighting cocks—suffers an emotional breakdown, putting their business and their lives in danger.—
The New Yorker,
The New Yorker,
26 July 2024
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The former became fighting cocks and the latter became sows.—
Matthew Gavin Frank,
Harper's Magazine,
6 June 2023
Noun
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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
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Brian Gibson’s gangrenous bass riffs and gibbering, muffled vocals have even more gonzo energy than usual, while Chippendale mixes bombast and finesse with his customary flair.—
Reed Jackson,
SPIN,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
Noun
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In December 2024, Lipa posted photos featuring a diamond ring on her left ring finger, spurring engagement chatter.—
Alexandra Del Rosario,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
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There’s plenty of chatter behind the scenes about more stories to come after the torrent of revelations since Platner announced his campaign.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
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Western, for his part, had by this time recovered something of his usual bluster, and began again upon the subject of Blifil, commending his estate and his family with great earnestness, as though these considerations alone ought to have settled the matter long since.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
2 June 2026
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The blue law bluster wasn’t a total victory for the Westport Country Playhouse.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Braggadocio.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/braggadocio. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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