thrasonical
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of thrasonical
1555–65; < Latin Thrasōn- (stem of Thrasō, braggart in Terence's Eunuchus ) + -ical
Explanation
Do you know a thrasonical person, someone who's always bragging, acting superior, or making exaggerated claims? If so, you've probably discovered that being thrasonical is a real turn-off! Thrasonical comes from Thraso, the name of a character in a comedy called The Eunuch, written by a Roman playwright in the 2nd century BCE. In the play, Thraso is a rich, arrogant army officer who boasts and brags to impress a woman. Apparently the play was very successful, but it wasn't entirely original: The playwright, Terence, borrowed the basic story and characters from an earlier Greek play written by Menander. Feel free to impress people by using the fancy word thrasonical and telling the story about its origins — but try not to act in a thrasonical manner when you do so!
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.
With this thrasonical challenge the pirates set sail for Otoque, another of the islands in the bay; for Taboga, though it was "an exceeding pleasant island," was by this time bare of meat.
From On the Spanish Main Or, Some English forays on the Isthmus of Darien. by John Masefield
His manner is lofty, his discourse peremptory, his tongue filed, his eye ambitious, and his general behaviour, vain, ridiculous and thrasonical.
From The Philosophy of the Plays of Shakspere Unfolded by Delia Bacon
All that he believed was that this was merely an expression of Buckingham's fanfaronading, thrasonical disposition, a form of vain, empty boasting peculiar to megalomaniacs.
From The Historical Nights' Entertainment Second Series by Rafael Sabatini
How wonderfully popular these thrasonical wild-beast tamers and prancing proconsul sort of fellows are—with the gallery!
From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 105, November 18, 1893 by Various
Thus, O thrasonical coward, is your emptiness exposed.
From Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
