bombastic

WOTD - 3 January 2008    

English

Alternative forms

• bombastick (obsolete)

Etymology

Either from bombast (“padding, stuffing”), or from middle name of Paracelsus (Theophrastus Bombastus), who often used extremely arrogant speaking style.

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /bɒmˈbæs.tɪk/, SAMPA: /bQm"b{s.tIk/
• (US) IPA: /bɑmˈbæs.tʰɪk/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æstɪk

Adjective

bombastic (comparative more bombastic, superlative most bombastic)

1. (of a person, their language or writing) Pompous or overly wordy.
2. High-sounding but with little meaning.
3. (archaic) Inflated, overfilled.

Synonyms

• (pompous or overly wordy): blustering, grandiloquent, pompous, verbose, florid
• (inflated, overfilled): inflated, turgid

Antonyms

• (pompous or overly wordy): concise, succinct

Related terms

• bombast
• bombaster
• bombastically

Descendants

• French: bombastique
• Spanish: bombástico

Translations

pompous or overly wordy

Bulgarian: надут (bg), превзет (bg) French: ampoulé (fr), enflé (fr), boursouflé (fr), pompeux (fr) German: bombastisch (de) Hungarian: bombasztikus (hu), dagályos (hu), cikornyás (hu) Irish: mórfhoclach (ga) Italian: pomposo (it)

Norwegian: bombastisk (no), svulstig (no) Nynorsk: bombastisk (nn), svulstig (nn) Polish: pompatyczny (pl) Russian: напыщенный (ru) (napýščennyj), помпезный (ru) (pompéznyj) Slovak: bombastický (sk) Spanish: bombástico (es), rimbombante (es)

high-sounding but with little meaning

Bulgarian: голословен (bg) French: verbeux (fr), abscons (fr) German: bombastisch (de) Hungarian: fellengzős (hu) Irish: mórfhoclach (ga)

Norwegian: høyttravende (no), høystemt (no) Nynorsk: høgttravande (nn), høgttråvande (nn), høgstemt (nn) Polish: górnolotny (pl) Russian: напыщенный (ru) (napýščennyj), помпезный (ru) (pompéznyj)

inflated, overfilled

German: bombastisch (de) Norwegian: bombastisk (no), svulstig (no) Nynorsk: bombastisk (nn), svulstig (nn)

Polish: napuszony (pl) Spanish: bombástico (es)