1
as in rhetoric
boastful speech or writing
his braggadocio hid the fact that he felt personally inadequate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of braggadocio
But the tonal change from braggadocio to lionization is notable, Reisman slipping at times into the giddiness of a die-hard fan meeting their idols.
—
Julien Levy, Rolling Stone, 27 Dec. 2025
Other details, freely tweaked, mesh, too, but the main similarities are in temperament—a megawatt personality and a penchant for braggadocio.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2025
In hindsight, that moment of hubristic braggadocio may have provoked the wrath of the retail gods.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 19 Nov. 2025
This display exposes the campaign’s braggadocio.
—Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for braggadocio
Julien Levy, Rolling Stone, 27 Dec. 2025
Other details, freely tweaked, mesh, too, but the main similarities are in temperament—a megawatt personality and a penchant for braggadocio.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2025
In hindsight, that moment of hubristic braggadocio may have provoked the wrath of the retail gods.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 19 Nov. 2025
This display exposes the campaign’s braggadocio.
—Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for braggadocio
Recent Examples of Synonyms for braggadocio
Noun
-
The rhetoric intensified Friday as GOP lawmakers responded to the attacks in Michigan and Virginia by urging a halt to all immigration into the United States.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Republican lawmakers intensify anti-Muslim rhetoric, with one saying that ‘Muslims don’t belong in American society,’ drawing Democratic condemnation and GOP silence.—
Joey Cappelletti,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Of the many incarnations of the narcissist, there is the braggart, and there is also the neurotic.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
6 Dec. 2025
-
Still, Kimmel never came off as a braggart.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
If the turquoise waters of the Caribbean are calling your name, consider Bonaire as your spring break brag.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
-
The infamous length of Infinite Jest is, in this sense, a central feature of its ethic: not bigness as brag but duration as discipline.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
The former became fighting cocks and the latter became sows.—
Matthew Gavin Frank,
Harper's Magazine,
6 June 2023
Noun
-
Trump’s version of events, as is so often the case, isn’t based on facts, but wishcasting, projection, bombast and bluffs.—
S.E. Cupp,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
-
One thing The Tonight Show does better than any other late-night show (and certainly can’t be replicated by video podcasts) is bombast.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
The chatter led General Mills to buy La Tiara’s assets in June for $10 million.—
Jenna Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Herson said he’s not focused on the chatter.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Iran lies, cheats, blusters and bullies.—
Chris Roemer,
Baltimore Sun,
5 Mar. 2026
-
The worst-case scenario would be, frankly, typical Trump bluster.—
Will Gottsegen,
The Atlantic,
24 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Braggadocio.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/braggadocio. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
