grandiloquent

adjective

Definition of grandiloquentnext
1
as in rhetorical
full of fine words and fancy expressions poets in the 19th century tended to write poetry filled with grandiloquent phrases

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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grandiloquent
  1. rhetorical
  2. pontifical
  3. ornate
  4. inflated
  5. bombastic
Adjective
  • A lot of this work is almost unreadable now, the pained efforts of young eggheads twisting themselves into rhetorical knots over the moral conundrums posed by real-world applications of Marxist principles.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 July 2026
  • Trump’s presentation was a rhetorical win but a fact-checker’s minefield.
    — Philip Elliott, Time, 17 July 2026
Definition of rhetorical
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of pontifical
Adjective
  • Since 2024, a new system of permits has designated four categories of mudlark, a satisfyingly ornate regime for what is, at heart, a deeply painstaking activity.
    — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
  • In many African countries, couples’ families will exchange ornate jewelry or beads instead.
    — Boutayna Chokrane, Vogue, 17 July 2026
Definition of ornate
Adjective
  • Check the tires regularly with a gauge to ensure that they are evenly inflated.
    — David Beaulieu, The Spruce, 22 July 2026
  • Even accounting for the inflated number of own goals (14, breaking the 2018 record of 12), this summer has delivered for goalmouth entertainment.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of inflated
Adjective
  • This bombastic rhetoric echoes an inherent feeling of frustration in Russia over the failure to segregate Ukraine from the West.
    — Ihor N. Stelmach, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026
  • Some of these movies manage to hold viewers’ attention with bombastic action scenes that command focus on a big screen.
    — Isabel Fattal, The Atlantic, 18 July 2026
Definition of bombastic

Browse Nearby Words

grandiloquence
grandiloquent
grandiose
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Cite this Entry

“Grandiloquent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grandiloquent. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of grandiloquent for Spanish Speakers

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