magniloquent
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of magniloquent
1650–60; back formation from Latin magniloquentia elevated language, equivalent to magniloqu ( us ) speaking grandly ( magni- magni- + loqu ( ī ) to speak + -us adj. suffix) + -entia -ence
Explanation
If you want to impress people, you might try using magniloquent language. That is, fancy and flowery language. For instance, you could use the word magniloquent, which come to think of it, is a magniloquent word itself. Magniloquent may remind you of the word eloquent, which describes a way of speaking that is articulate, persuasive, and carefully chosen. Magniloquent shares the Latin root loqui, “speak,” with eloquent and also describes a way of speaking. However, magniloquent describes speech that sounds very intelligent and important, but may in fact have little substance. Another adjective that sounds similar and conveys the same meaning is grandiloquent. Other synonyms include bombastic, pompous, and highfalutin.
Vocabulary lists containing magniloquent
100 SAT Words Beginning with "M"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
That's Great!: Magn
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
List 7
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Boris Johnson has long spun political gold from his magniloquent tongue, using what some linguists and observers say bombastic language, esoteric vocabulary, occasional crudity and episodes of bumbling bluster.
From Reuters ● Jul. 23, 2019
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, with the Revolution succeeded by the reign of Napoleon, that meant history painting: magniloquent tableaus — battles, shipwrecks, coronations — in which myth and reality met.
From New York Times ● Jan. 24, 2013
Josef von Sternberg, 49, magniloquent discoverer and first director of Marlene Dietrich; and Jeanne Annette McBride, 21, his brunette ex-secretary; he for the second time; in Hollywood.
From Time Magazine Archive
It opens with a magniloquent sunlit air view of Manhattan and with Hellinger's voice, talking of his town with as happy pride and affection as if it were his year-old son, already counting to ten.
From Time Magazine Archive
Its use had to be learnt from French masters of deportment; the old magniloquent Italo-Spanish rapier jargon was forgotten; French terms, barbarized into carte, tierce, sagoon, flanquonade, and so forth, were alone understood.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 2 "Fairbanks, Erastus" to "Fens" by Various
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.
