grandstanding

[ gran-stan-ding, grand- ]

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.

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of grandstanding¹

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

Example Sentences

The 2020 Australian Open was the last Grand Slam staged in unfettered fashion with packed grandstands, held in January and early February before the global pandemic wreaked havoc on sports scheduling around the world.

From Washington Post

But, placing a hearing like this so close to an election deemphasized substance and incentivized politicians to grandstand and “stand up” to some of the most powerful executives in the world.

From Popular-Science

It is grandstanding for a right rarely protected unless under immediate attack.

From The Daily Beast

Only two of the more grandstanding public figures from Central Park case remain on the scene.

From The Daily Beast

It may be shambolic, shameless emotional grandstanding, but it is oddly moving, despite the ruthless history edit.

From The Daily Beast

Resolve that this can and should be the year that zero preschoolers go hungry based on your quixotic grandstanding.

From The Daily Beast

On Borgen, grandstanding and deceit still plague the political process.

From The Daily Beast

If he's just doing a lot of grandstanding or if he's playing someone's political game, that's another thing.

From Project Gutenberg

You fellows better cut out the grandstanding and have a look west.

From Project Gutenberg

At any time he was ready with a sneer for what he called the cowpuncher's "grandstanding."

From Project Gutenberg

The sort of grandstanding the Karna were putting on had to be played to an audience.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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