bravado

[bruh-vah-doh]

See more synonyms for bravado on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural bra·va·does, bra·va·dos.

a pretentious, swaggering display of courage.

Origin of bravado

1575–85; < Spanish bravada (now bravata < It), equivalent to brav(o) brave + -ada -ade¹

Related formso·ver·bra·va·do, noun

Can be confusedbravery bravado bravura

Synonyms

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

brag, bluster, bombast, braggadocio.

Synonym study

See courage.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for bravado

Contemporary Examples

Even the legendary 1980s televisions show Dallas is back on the air, selling its twenty-first century brand of Texas bravado.
Will Texas Stay Texan?
David Fontana
December 29, 2014
Picasso, with his polka-dot shirt and clashing tie attempted an air of bravado, but lost confidence by the minute.
Did Picasso Try to Steal the Mona Lisa?
Nick Mafi
October 23, 2014
Zaharchenko on Friday night projected defiance rather than bravado, no doubt buoyed by the Moscow-sent materiel and fighters.
Ukraine Rebels Boast About Troops and Tanks Coming from Russia
Jamie Dettmer
August 16, 2014
It perfectly illustrates the combination of bravado, real toughness, and a kind of lost-little-boy appeal that he has with women.
The Stacks: Mr. Bad Taste and Trouble Himself: Robert Mitchum
Robert Ward
July 19, 2014
They have a great sense of performance, bravado, and audacity.
The Great Character Actor: Guy Pearce on His Brilliant Career, From ‘Priscilla’ to ‘The Rover’
Richard Porton
May 23, 2014

Historical Examples

My tone was purposed insolence; I met his look with bravado.
The Bacillus of Beauty
Harriet Stark
There was something in the man's tone of bravado that stamped it genuine.
Henry Dunbar
M. E. Braddon
His eyes fell, his bravado vanished, he fumbled with the cutlery.
Ruggles of Red Gap
Harry Leon Wilson
The last fragment of self-respect, of bravado even, was in tatters.
A Breath of Prairie and other stories
Will Lillibridge
At times, when all had turned their backs, she kissed him, out of a sort of bravado.
Therese Raquin
Emile Zola

British Dictionary definitions for bravado

bravado

noun plural -does or -dos

vaunted display of courage or self-confidence; swagger

Word Origin

C16: from Spanish bravada (modern bravata), from Old Italian bravare to challenge, provoke, from bravo wild, brave

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for bravado

n.

1580s, from French bravade "bragging, boasting," from Italian bravata "bragging, boasting" (16c.), from bravare "brag, boast, be defiant," from bravo (see brave (adj.)). The English word was influenced in form by Spanish words ending in -ado.

bravado

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}bravado

Synonyms

Synonym study

Related Words

Examples from the Web for bravado

Contemporary Examples

Even the legendary 1980s televisions show Dallas is back on the air, selling its twenty-first century brand of Texas bravado.

Picasso, with his polka-dot shirt and clashing tie attempted an air of bravado, but lost confidence by the minute.

Zaharchenko on Friday night projected defiance rather than bravado, no doubt buoyed by the Moscow-sent materiel and fighters.

It perfectly illustrates the combination of bravado, real toughness, and a kind of lost-little-boy appeal that he has with women.

They have a great sense of performance, bravado, and audacity.

Historical Examples

My tone was purposed insolence; I met his look with bravado.

There was something in the man's tone of bravado that stamped it genuine.

His eyes fell, his bravado vanished, he fumbled with the cutlery.

The last fragment of self-respect, of bravado even, was in tatters.

At times, when all had turned their backs, she kissed him, out of a sort of bravado.

bravado

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for bravado

n.

Origin of bravado