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grandiose

[ gran-dee-ohs, gran-dee-ohs ]
/ ˈgræn diˌoʊs, ˌgræn diˈoʊs /
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See synonyms for: grandiose / grandioseness / grandiosity on Thesaurus.com
adjective
affectedly grand or important; pompous: grandiose words.
more complicated or elaborate than necessary; overblown: a grandiose scheme.
grand in an imposing or impressive way.
Psychiatry. having an exaggerated belief in one's importance, sometimes reaching delusional proportions, and occurring as a common symptom of mental illnesses, as manic disorder.
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Origin of grandiose

First recorded in 1830–40; from French, from Italian grandioso, from Latin grandi(s) “grand” + -ōsus adjective suffix (see -ose1)

synonym study for grandiose

2. Grandiose, showy, ostentatious, pretentious all refer to conspicuous outward display, either designed to attract attention or likely to do so. Grandiose and showy are alike in that they may suggest impressiveness that is not objectionable: the grandiose sweep of the arch; a fresh bouquet of showy zinnias. Grandiose, however, most often implies inflation or exaggeration to the point of absurdity: grandiose, impractical plans; a ridiculously grandiose manner. Showy sometimes suggests a meretricious gaudiness or flashiness: a showy taste in dress. Ostentatious, which refers to behavior or manner clearly designed to impress, also has negative connotations: an ostentatious display of wealth; an assumption of superiority too ostentatious to be ignored. Pretentious, like the preceding term, is always derogatory, implying falseness or exaggeration in claims made or implied: natural and straightforward, not pretentious; pretentious language designed to mask the absence of real content.

OTHER WORDS FROM grandiose

gran·di·ose·ly, adverbgran·di·ose·ness, gran·di·os·i·ty [gran-dee-os-i-tee], /ˌgræn diˈɒs ɪ ti/, noun

Words nearby grandiose

Grand Haven, grandiflora, grandiloquence, grandiloquent, grand inquisitor, grandiose, grandiosity, grandioso, Grand Island, grand jeté, Grand Junction
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to grandiose

ambitious, bombastic, flamboyant, grand, imposing, lofty, magnificent, monumental, noble, pompous, pretentious, showy, splashy, affected, august, cosmic, egotistic, fustian, highfalutin, high-flown

How to use grandiose in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for grandiose

grandiose
/ (ˈɡrændɪˌəʊs) /
adjective
pretentiously grand or stately
imposing in conception or execution

Derived forms of grandiose

grandiosely, adverbgrandiosity (ˌɡrændɪˈɒsɪtɪ), noun

Word Origin for grandiose

C19: from French, from Italian grandioso, from grande great; see grand
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
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