1
as in rhetoric
boastful speech or writing
his braggadocio hid the fact that he felt personally inadequate
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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
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
See All Example Sentences for 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
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
See All Example Sentences for braggadocio
Recent Examples of Synonyms for braggadocio
Noun
-
For all Magyar’s rhetoric, his politics do not actually represent a comprehensive break from Orbán.—
Kapil Komireddi,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
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Orban’s enduring support stems from tangible benefits — utility discounts, pension supplements — alongside nationalist rhetoric emphasizing Hungary’s traditions, regional pride, and external threats such as Ukraine’s war that resonate deeply with rural and elderly voters.—
Justin Spike,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 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
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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
-
The former became fighting cocks and the latter became sows.—
Matthew Gavin Frank,
Harper's Magazine,
6 June 2023
Noun
-
Instead, Kahan occupies a funny spot in the pop-music cosmos—music for people who own too much performance fleece to embrace the bombast of Taylor Swift but aren’t quite feral enough for the cacophony of Geese.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
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That’s not just because Miller’s presence rings bittersweet given the actor’s real life struggles and controversies today, but also because this relatively modest affair lacks most of Levinson’s aesthetic and bombast.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
10 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
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Several of them can fly, and all have at least a touch of grandiloquence to them.—
Michael Nordine,
Variety,
11 Aug. 2022
Noun
-
There was plenty of chatter about keeping an eye on the Lakers as a potential sleeper team in the West before Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) went down with injuries this month.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
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But most of his chatter during the night was about the larger issues that prompted the tour just a matter of weeks earlier.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Defense Minister Israel Katz has dismissed Erdogan’s threats as bluster, while officials warn that Turkey’s regional posture, particularly its engagement in Syria, is being closely monitored.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
14 Apr. 2026
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His preposterous bluster about Greenland, Cuba, and NATO has undermined the postwar alliance.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Braggadocio.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/braggadocio. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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