inflated
Americanadjective
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distended with air or gas; swollen.
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puffed up, as with pride.
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turgid or bombastic.
his inflated prose.
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unduly increased in level.
inflated costs.
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Economics. unduly expanded in amount, value, or size; characterized by inflation.
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Botany. hollow and enlarged or swelled out.
inflated perianth.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inflated
Explanation
If it's puffed up and overrated, it's probably inflated — a simple adjective that means blown out of proportion or exaggerated. Think of a balloon. You blow and blow, and it gets bigger and bigger. Sometimes if you blow too much it takes on a distorted shape, or even explodes. Now use that same imagery, but swap the balloon for someone's ego or the price of U2 concert tickets. Both personalities and prices can get inflated beyond reasonableness — the personalities with pretentious hot air and the prices with unnecessary cost.
Vocabulary lists containing inflated
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.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with guesstimating economic opportunities, but the more prominent, inflated, or specific they are, the worse of a sign it can be.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
City were accused of a wide range of rule breaches, centering around claims they inflated sponsorship revenue from connected companies and made other "off the books" payments to circumvent financial regulations.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
“Public golf courses belong to the public, and residents shouldn’t have to compete with brokers buying up tee times just to turn around and sell them at inflated prices,” he said in a statement Sunday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
He inflated Navatek’s payroll to amass loans of $13 million, according to a federal indictment.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
I motion to Emily, Rabiya, and Dahlia, and we all run over to the giant inflated castle.
From "Amina's Voice" by Hena Khan
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.
