bombast
Americannoun
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speech too pompous for an occasion; pretentious words.
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Obsolete. cotton or other material used to stuff garments; padding.
adjective
noun
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pompous and grandiloquent language
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obsolete material used for padding
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bombast
1560–70; earlier bombace padding < Middle French < Medieval Latin bombācem, accusative of bombāx; see bombax family
Explanation
Bombast is a noun meaning pretentious or boastful talk. If your football coach is known for his bombast, he probably gives a pompous speech before each game about the greatness of the team and, of course, his coaching. Originally, bombast was cotton padding used to stuff or pad things like seat cushions. The meaning was extended to include padded and overstuffed speaking or writing, especially speech that's pretentious and showy. Other words with bombast at their roots include the adjective bombastic and the adverb bombastically. For all your coach's bluster and bombast, he's a pretty nice guy — too bad his overblown rhetoric turns people off before they get to know him.
Vocabulary lists containing bombast
"What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" by Frederick Douglass
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"'Blaxicans' and Other Reinvented Americans," Vocabulary from the argument
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Vocabulary Heard at the 2016 Democratic National Convention
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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.
“He’s done it with such bombast that actually, practically speaking, he has limited his options,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
The scene was an antidote to all that is wrong in world football; the rampant greed, the unrelenting bombast.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
And throughout all of the bulging bombast, Qualley maintains determined eye contact with the camera, reminding the audience that both the character and the actor playing her remain in complete control.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2025
Even winning is an abstract concept, floating on bombast.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2025
In the script, the dialogue is written with some exclamation points, but Bobby has stopped playing it with bombast.
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.
