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.
Novi hominem tanquam te" quoth he;—"his humor is lofty; his discourse peremptory; his tongue filed; his eye ambitious; his gait majestical; and his general behavior vain, ridiculous, and thrasonical.
From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 02, No. 13, November, 1858 by Various
His humor is lofty, his discourse peremptory, his tongue filed, his eye ambitious, his gait majestical, and his general behavior vain, ridiculous, and thrasonical....
From Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama, Vol. 1 A Revised American Edition of the Reader's Handbook by Ebenezer Cobham Brewer
Thus, O thrasonical coward, is your emptiness exposed.
From Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini
Novi hominem tanquam te—his humour is lofty, his discourse peremptory, his tongue filed, his eye ambitious, his gait majestical, and his general behaviour vain, ridiculous, and thrasonical.
From Pelham — Volume 04 by Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron Lytton
Unlike the ordinary soldier of fortune, he was not in the least thrasonical.
From The Dictator by Justin McCarthy
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