Vocabulary in context
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Bombast
Pompous, inflated speech or writing that is meant to impress but often lacks substance.
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Imagine This
During a lecture to a group of FBI rookies, the bomb expert captured and impressed the audience's attention by describing his near-death experience with a bomb, which blasted just a few feet away from him.
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Sounds Like
BOM-bast
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Looks Like
bomb blast
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Remember This
Bombast describes language that is more style than substance. It often pairs with words like pompous or grandiose.
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Other Forms
bombasticadjective
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Connect With
pompous, grandiloquent, magniloquent, orotund, florid language
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Note
Be careful not to confuse with bombastic—the noun bombast refers to inflated language itself, while bombastic is the adjective describing such language or tone.
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Study Deeper
Examples
- The politician's speech was filled with bombast but little factual detail.
- Her writing relied on bombast rather than clear, persuasive argument.
Synonyms
pompousnessgrandiloquencemagniloquenceorotundnessfloridity
Antonyms
simplicityhumilityunderstatement
Etymology
From French bombaste, from Italian bombazzo, padding or stuffing used in clothing; metaphorically, inflated or padded language.
Mnemonic
Mnemonic: Think of bombast as padding for words—imagine a speaker wearing padded clothes to puff up sentences.
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Rigid
adjectiveNot easily bent or changed; physically stiff; unwilling to bend or compromise in thinking or behavior.
Laud
verbTo praise highly; to extol or exalt.
Extract
verbTo remove or take out; to obtain a substance from a mixture by a process; to derive or obtain information or conclusions from data or evidence.
Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Abasement
nounThe act or instance of humiliating or degrading someone; the state of being lowered in dignity or status.
Absurdity
nounThe quality or state of being wildly unreasonable, illogical, or ridiculous; something that is completely contrary to reason or common sense.
Accent
nounA distinctive way of pronouncing words; the act of emphasizing a syllable or word (as a verb, to accent means to emphasize).
Accolade
nounAn honor; a public expression of praise or an award.
Acrimony
nounBitterness of speech or manner; ill feeling
Acronym
nounA word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, pronounced as a single word and used as a shorthand for the full name (for example, NASA or radar).
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