grandiloquent
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of grandiloquent
First recorded in 1585–95; grandiloqu(ence) + -ent
Explanation
Grandiloquent is a fancy term for, well, being fancy or pretentious. In fact, you might say grandiloquent is itself a pretty grandiloquent word. The word grandiloquent generally refers to the way a person behaves or speaks. Politicians and schoolteachers are the usual suspects of this manner of behavior, known as grandiloquence, but it can refer to anything that's overbearing or pompous in style or manner. Architecture, especially, is highly guilty of being grandiloquent — if you check out just about anything built in the Baroque style, you could describe it as grandiloquent.
Vocabulary lists containing grandiloquent
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Prone to social media outbursts, grandiloquent speeches and public spats, Petro has burned through more than 60 ministers in four years.
From Barron's ● Mar. 8, 2026
“Liquid silk,” “otherworldly,” “heaven in a cup,” and more resounding, grandiloquent, highly praiseful words and phrases fill your mind when you taste this amazing brew.
From Salon ● Dec. 7, 2023
In charge of that renovation were Philip Johnson and John Burgee — architects of the yet more grandiloquent New York State Theater, across the plaza.
From New York Times ● Sep. 29, 2022
Such is the power of certain books when you’re young, even books that are critically dismissed as pulpy and grandiloquent, as Rice’s often were.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 13, 2021
In a grandiloquent, newsreel-style voice, the show’s narrator, Westbrook Van Voorhis, began his report: “Today, at the eastern extremity of the state of Pennsylvania, a remarkable construction project is transforming the face of the countryside.”
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
