1
as in rhetorical
full of fine words and fancy expressions
poets in the 19th century tended to write poetry filled with grandiloquent phrases
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pontifical
marked by the use of impressive-sounding but mostly meaningless words and phrases
at Independence Day celebrations grandiloquent speeches by local politicians are as traditional as fireworks
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grandiloquent
There was Coppola’s over-the-top defense of his friend with a grandiloquent gesture (Tanen declined to sell).
—
Michael O’Donnell, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
Reform—Within Reason Malthus aimed to puncture Godwin’s grandiloquent progressivism.
—Roy Scranton, JSTOR Daily, 18 Sep. 2025
Michael O’Donnell, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
Reform—Within Reason Malthus aimed to puncture Godwin’s grandiloquent progressivism.
—Roy Scranton, JSTOR Daily, 18 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grandiloquent
Adjective
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There has never quite been a critical or scholarly consensus about them, but Bellini, whose music is suspended somewhere between Rossini’s precise brilliance and Donizetti’s rhetorical force, can move audiences with his melodic facility.—
Arya Roshanian,
The New York Review of Books,
6 June 2026
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Those include rhetorical shifts, partnerships with brokerage platforms and teaming up with companies to develop necessary infrastructure.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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Leo opened his visit to Pompeii by meeting with sick and disabled people who are cared for by a charity center affiliated with the sanctuary, which Leo’s namesake, Pope Leo XIII, declared a pontifical basilica in 1901.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
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That public spat has overshadowed his pontifical tour of four African countries, which ended Thursday with a Mass for thousands of people in Malabo, the former capital of Equatorial Guinea.—
Claudio Lavanga,
NBC news,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Camp Lucy was born when former antiques dealer and real estate developer Whit Hanks restored the ornate chapel on his family’s property in 2008.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 May 2026
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Despite its ornate craftsmanship and intricacies, Osaka’s tennis kit is still functional, transitioning from an entrance look to a competition-ready uniform for the four-time Grand Slam champion.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
26 May 2026
Adjective
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And that includes working together as a team without an inflated sense of pride.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
10 June 2026
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The absolute ideal scenario for FIFA in this plan—that all the tickets sell at the inflated price—is basically impossible.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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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,
11 June 2026
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At times during his bombastic, table-shaking, enigmatic career, the singer, arranger, musician, and producer came off as a restless indie artist masquerading as a multiplatinum megastar.—
Keith Murphy,
VIBE.com,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grandiloquent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grandiloquent. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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