bombast

noun

bom·bast ˈbäm-ˌbast How to pronounce bombast (audio)

: pretentious inflated speech or writing

political bombast

Did you know?

The original meaning of bombast in English was "cotton or other material used as padding or stuffing." It is derived through Anglo-French bombés or bombace, from a Medieval Latin word (of various forms, including bambax and bombax) meaning "cotton plant, cotton fiber or wadding." Bombax was once thought to be a corruption of bombyx, a Latin (and ultimately Greek) word that means "silkworm" or "silk," although etymologists weren't certain why the shift from silk to cotton occurred. It turns out, however, that bombast's origins are more direct and unassuming: the Latin bombax is not a product of the silky bombyx but was borrowed from the Middle Greek bámbax, pámbax, which in turn probably traces back to the Middle Persian pambak ("cotton"). Bombast is no longer used in the sense of cotton padding or stuffing, but the word has been retained in modern English in a figurative sense referring to speech or writing that is stuffed or padded with pretense and unnecessary verbiage.

Example Sentences

the other world leaders at the international conference had little interest in being subjected to the president's bombast you need less bombast and more substance in this speech on human rights

Recent Examples on the Web The routine bombast of Craig DeLeon’s score, and various preexisting pop tracks utilized, further underline an overall lack of instinct for thriller atmospherics.

Dennis Harvey, Variety, 8 Sep. 2022 Lake, not surprisingly, turned it all into a fundraising opportunity, with the usual bombast and hyperbole her campaign has employed throughout.

Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 14 July 2022 But Dominion feels no less than two full script rewrites away from living up to the fun and bombast of its best moments.

Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, 8 June 2022 That’s in part because left-leaning California has been spared from the GOP’s intraparty warfare between candidates blessed by Donald Trump and Republicans distancing themselves from the falsehoods and bombast of the former president.

Phil Willon, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2022 For a band that mastered the art of 1980s new wave and synth-pop bombast, Tears for Fears’ songs have always – somewhat shockingly – felt more vigorous in a live setting.

Troy L. Smith, cleveland, 22 May 2022 Anchored by the most nuanced vocal performances of her career thus far, Renaissance infuses the superstar’s new sonic arena with the brassy bombast of 2006’s B’Day.

Kyle Denis, Billboard, 29 July 2022 The four hearings that have been broadcast so far — a fifth is scheduled for Thursday afternoon — have been stately affairs, lacking the bombast and grandstanding that dominate most American political performance these days.

Josh Dawsey, Washington Post, 23 June 2022 There was a cold breeze blowing in off Lake Michigan, but Skillet warmed the night with musical bombast at the Uline Warehouse Friday night.

Journal Sentinel, 9 July 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

earlier, "cotton or other material used as padding or stuffing," extension (with parasitic t) of bombace, bombage, going back to Middle English bombace, borrowed from Anglo-French bombés, bombace, borrowed from Medieval Latin bambac-, bambax, bombax (also banbax, bonbax) "cotton plant, cotton fiber or wadding," borrowed from Middle Greek bámbax, pámbax, going back to a Greek stem pambak- (as in pambakís "item of clothing, probably of cotton"), probably borrowed from Middle Persian pambak "cotton" (or from an unknown source from which both words were borrowed)

Note: At virtually all stages of this etymon's history there has been formal and semantic confusion with Latin bombyx "silk" and its congeners (hence the o in the English, French, and Latin forms; see note at bombazine), though the two words are very likely of distinct origin. The earliest European occurrence of the "cotton" word is pambakís, denoting an item of apparel in an epigram attributed to Myrinus (1st century b.c.e. or earlier) in the Palatine Anthology (VI, 254). In some manuscripts of Dioscorides' treatise on materia medica (1st century c.e.) bambakoeidḗs "cotton-like" is used in the description of a plant (other witnesses give bombykoeidḗs "silklike"). Greek bámbax and pámbax, as well as a derivative, bambákion, are attested in the 10th-century Byzantine encyclopedia Suda/Souda, which cites the epigram by Myrinus (see Suda On Line at www.stoa.org/sol/). The Medieval Latin forms are well attested in texts of the Salerno medical school, as the Tractatus de aegritudinum curatione, part of the now lost Breslau Codex Salernitanus (ca. 1200); see citations under bombyx, sense 2, in the Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch.

First Known Use

1583, in the meaning defined above

单词	bombast
释义	bombast noun bom·bast ˈbäm-ˌbast : pretentious inflated speech or writing political bombast Did you know? The original meaning of bombast in English was "cotton or other material used as padding or stuffing." It is derived through Anglo-French bombés or bombace, from a Medieval Latin word (of various forms, including bambax and bombax) meaning "cotton plant, cotton fiber or wadding." Bombax was once thought to be a corruption of bombyx, a Latin (and ultimately Greek) word that means "silkworm" or "silk," although etymologists weren't certain why the shift from silk to cotton occurred. It turns out, however, that bombast's origins are more direct and unassuming: the Latin bombax is not a product of the silky bombyx but was borrowed from the Middle Greek bámbax, pámbax, which in turn probably traces back to the Middle Persian pambak ("cotton"). Bombast is no longer used in the sense of cotton padding or stuffing, but the word has been retained in modern English in a figurative sense referring to speech or writing that is stuffed or padded with pretense and unnecessary verbiage. Synonyms bluster brag braggadocio bull [slang] cockalorum fanfaronade gas gasconade grandiloquence hot air magniloquence rant rodomontade rhodomontade See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences the other world leaders at the international conference had little interest in being subjected to the president's bombast you need less bombast and more substance in this speech on human rights Recent Examples on the Web The routine bombast of Craig DeLeon’s score, and various preexisting pop tracks utilized, further underline an overall lack of instinct for thriller atmospherics. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 8 Sep. 2022 Lake, not surprisingly, turned it all into a fundraising opportunity, with the usual bombast and hyperbole her campaign has employed throughout. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 14 July 2022 But Dominion feels no less than two full script rewrites away from living up to the fun and bombast of its best moments. Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, 8 June 2022 That’s in part because left-leaning California has been spared from the GOP’s intraparty warfare between candidates blessed by Donald Trump and Republicans distancing themselves from the falsehoods and bombast of the former president. Phil Willon, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2022 For a band that mastered the art of 1980s new wave and synth-pop bombast, Tears for Fears’ songs have always – somewhat shockingly – felt more vigorous in a live setting. Troy L. Smith, cleveland, 22 May 2022 Anchored by the most nuanced vocal performances of her career thus far, Renaissance infuses the superstar’s new sonic arena with the brassy bombast of 2006’s B’Day. Kyle Denis, Billboard, 29 July 2022 The four hearings that have been broadcast so far — a fifth is scheduled for Thursday afternoon — have been stately affairs, lacking the bombast and grandstanding that dominate most American political performance these days. Josh Dawsey, Washington Post, 23 June 2022 There was a cold breeze blowing in off Lake Michigan, but Skillet warmed the night with musical bombast at the Uline Warehouse Friday night. Journal Sentinel, 9 July 2022 See More Word History Etymology earlier, "cotton or other material used as padding or stuffing," extension (with parasitic t) of bombace, bombage, going back to Middle English bombace, borrowed from Anglo-French bombés, bombace, borrowed from Medieval Latin bambac-, bambax, bombax (also banbax, bonbax) "cotton plant, cotton fiber or wadding," borrowed from Middle Greek bámbax, pámbax, going back to a Greek stem pambak- (as in pambakís "item of clothing, probably of cotton"), probably borrowed from Middle Persian pambak "cotton" (or from an unknown source from which both words were borrowed) Note: At virtually all stages of this etymon's history there has been formal and semantic confusion with Latin bombyx "silk" and its congeners (hence the o in the English, French, and Latin forms; see note at bombazine), though the two words are very likely of distinct origin. The earliest European occurrence of the "cotton" word is pambakís, denoting an item of apparel in an epigram attributed to Myrinus (1st century b.c.e. or earlier) in the Palatine Anthology (VI, 254). In some manuscripts of Dioscorides' treatise on materia medica (1st century c.e.) bambakoeidḗs "cotton-like" is used in the description of a plant (other witnesses give bombykoeidḗs "silklike"). Greek bámbax and pámbax, as well as a derivative, bambákion, are attested in the 10th-century Byzantine encyclopedia Suda/Souda, which cites the epigram by Myrinus (see Suda On Line at www.stoa.org/sol/). The Medieval Latin forms are well attested in texts of the Salerno medical school, as the Tractatus de aegritudinum curatione, part of the now lost Breslau Codex Salernitanus (ca. 1200); see citations under bombyx, sense 2, in the Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch. First Known Use 1583, in the meaning defined above bombast noun 1 as in rhetoric boastful speech or writing the other world leaders at the international conference had little interest in being subjected to the president's bombast Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance rhetoric grandiloquence braggadocio magniloquence bluster brag chatter rodomontade rant fanfaronade hot air bull gasconade gas pomposity rhapsody oratory verbosity rhodomontade turgidity jawing cockalorum prattle babble bloviation swagger gabble drivel windiness wind prating jabber gibberish blab vaunt gibber egotism patter yammering self-importance self-conceit 2 as in grandiloquence language that is impressive-sounding but not meaningful or sincere you need less bombast and more substance in this speech on human rights Synonyms & Similar Words rhetoric grandiloquence fustian oratory wind verbiage claptrap jazz nonsense hot air grandiosity pomposity drivel gas hogwash jabberwocky gibberish pretension verbosity loftiness wordiness garrulousness pretentiousness garrulity humbug floweriness moonshine affectedness windiness verboseness
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bombast

noun

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

noun