bombastic

Bombastic is an adjective used to describe language or style that sounds impressive or dramatic but is often inflated, verbose, and lacking in substance. It characteristically features grandiose diction, elaborate rhetoric, and exaggerated syntactic constructions designed to impress rather than to convey clear meaning. In criticism, bombastic prose or oratory is viewed as pretentious or ostentatious.

The term derives from bombast, a padding material historically used to stuff clothing. The sense shifted metaphorically to refer to inflated speech or writing. In English, bombastic appearances in print and speech date from the early modern period, with the adjective forming after the noun to describe such overblown style.

Bombastic usage is common in discussions of literature, journalism, politics, and public speaking. It is typically a negative appraisal, signaling that the speaker or writer relies on grandiloquent phraseology, long, convoluted sentences, and rhetorical flourishes rather than concise, substantive communication. Nevertheless, bombastic style may be used deliberately for humorous effect, satire, or artistic emphasis.

Related terms include pompous, grandiose, magniloquent, and orotund, which share emphasis on lofty language. Antonyms include understated, plain, succinct, and concise. When evaluating bombastic writing, readers often consider whether the diction serves a clear purpose or merely obscures meaning with noise.