Showing results for "grandstanding"

• present participle of grandstand.

grandstanding

American  

[gran-stan-ding, grand-] / ˈgrænˌstæn dɪŋ, ˈgrænd- /

noun

1. the act or practice of behaving or performing in a showy way in an attempt to impress others.

   With nearly 14 million unemployed, this grandstanding over such a comparatively small retraining program (only 10,000 people) is downright insulting.

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adjective

1. being or engaging in this kind of behavior or performance.

   It’s a nice, quiet movie—no guns or car chases, no grandstanding actors, and not too fast-paced.

Etymology

Origin of grandstanding

First recorded in 1895–1900; grandstand ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun; grandstand ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

grandstanding

Others see his comments as grandstanding meant to stoke investor excitement for what’s being sold as a godlike technology.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026

You have the extremes that call the ball on so many debates, partly I guess it’s social media, TikTok, it’s the grandstanding by members.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026

The U.S. and Malaysia have largely enjoyed warm relations over the years, notwithstanding occasional rhetorical grandstanding, especially on the part of former longtime Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2025

"It's histrionics and grandstanding," said John Bursch, of the Alliance Defending Freedom.

From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2024

He was grandstanding, Inej saw that, buying her time as she leapt over the slate shingles.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

Related Words

• egocentric
• egotistical
• self-absorbed
• self-indulgent
• selfish