bravado
Americannoun
noun
Synonym Usage
See courage.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of bravado
First recorded in 1575–85; from Spanish bravada (now bravata, from Italian ), equivalent to brav(o) “brave” + -ada noun suffix; see origin at brave, -ade 1
Explanation
If you act with bravado, you are making a bold showy statement. Picture a cowboy bursting through saloon doors in an old western, and you can picture bravado. The noun bravado is derived from the French and Italian words meaning "bragging and boasting," and it is related to the word bravo. Today, the word means an almost-over-the-top amount of courage, but it can also be used (often with the word false) to mean a false show of bravery: "It was her first day in the classroom and she was almost shaking with fear, but with false bravado — she took a deep breath and turned to face her students — 20 kindergartners."
Vocabulary lists containing bravado
Grade 10, List 1
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Lord of the Flies
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100 Words to Make You Sound Smart
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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.
But the DNA of the Barbary wars exists throughout American military history, a cocktail of entitlement, bravado and hypocrisy flavored with desperate violence.
From Salon • Jul. 4, 2026
Ms. Champlin reveals the bruised heart beneath the bravado Cheryl-Ann projects.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026
“We anticipate more of these bouts of bravado to dictate the region for a while as both sides claim they are winning and neither is willing to be seen as disadvantaged,” he said.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026
That bravado may well not be matched by the result, but they are strongly expected to hang on as the biggest party.
From BBC • May 2, 2026
“That wicked boy. I hate him! But he is no match for me,” I said with a feigned bravado.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
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.
