bravado

American  

[bruh-vah-doh] / brəˈvɑ doʊ /

noun

bravadoes, plural bravados plural

1. a pretentious, swaggering display of courage.

   Synonyms:

   braggadocio, bombast, bluster, brag

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bravado British  

/ brəˈvɑːdəʊ /

noun

1. vaunted display of courage or self-confidence; swagger

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Synonym Usage

See courage.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• overbravado
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• bravadoes
  plural
• bravados
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bravado

First recorded in 1575–85; from Spanish bravada (now bravata, from Italian ), equivalent to brav(o) “brave” + -ada noun suffix; see origin at brave, -ade ¹

Explanation

If you act with bravado, you are making a bold showy statement. Picture a cowboy bursting through saloon doors in an old western, and you can picture bravado. The noun bravado is derived from the French and Italian words meaning "bragging and boasting," and it is related to the word bravo. Today, the word means an almost-over-the-top amount of courage, but it can also be used (often with the word false) to mean a false show of bravery: "It was her first day in the classroom and she was almost shaking with fear, but with false bravado — she took a deep breath and turned to face her students — 20 kindergartners."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bravado bravadoes bravados

But the DNA of the Barbary wars exists throughout American military history, a cocktail of entitlement, bravado and hypocrisy flavored with desperate violence.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

Buzz’s “To infinity and beyond” catchphrase connotes adventure and exploration, and the character’s journey from self-serious bravado to emotional vulnerability has given him a superpower far greater than the ability to fly.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026

In a Wall Street Journal interview that November, founder Ren Zhengfei invited President Trump to come visit and brushed off U.S. sanctions with characteristic bravado.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026

“We anticipate more of these bouts of bravado to dictate the region for a while as both sides claim they are winning and neither is willing to be seen as disadvantaged,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 1, 2026

I pause with my mouth open, my momentary bravado disappearing.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

This is not, as might be supposed, one of those bravadoes of the timid, who shout before Death in order to deaden the sound of his footsteps.

From Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern — Volume 5 by Mabie, Hamilton Wright

These bravadoes caused great irritation, but still the Spanish warriors were restrained by the prohibition of the King.

From The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 08 The Later Renaissance: from Gutenberg to the Reformation by Horne, Charles F. (Charles Francis)

And so saying, under sufferance of being small, the plenipo was permitted to depart unmolested; for all his bravadoes, fobbing his credentials and affronts.

From Mardi: and A Voyage Thither, Vol. II by Melville, Herman

The ancient enmity between these, princes broke out anew in bravadoes, and in personal insults on each other, ill becoming persons of their rank, and still less suitable to men of such unquestioned bravery.

From The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.I., Part C. From Henry VII. to Mary by Hume, David

Always the master of every topic on which he attempts to enlighten, he is neither foiled by the sophistries nor embarrassed by the bravadoes of his opponents.

From The Continental Monthly, Vol. 2, No. 2, August, 1862 Devoted to Literature and National Policy by Various

Mimi began to laugh and to utter bravados.

From Bohemians of the Latin Quarter by Murger, Henry

They made many bravados, daily shooting off forty, fifty, or sixty pieces of ordnance at Nero and Puloway, thinking to frighten us.

From A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 09 Arranged in Systematic Order: Forming a Complete History of the Origin and Progress of Navigation, Discovery, and Commerce, by Sea and Land, from the Earliest Ages to the Present Time by Kerr, Robert

It would be interesting to stare defiantly at his enemy at close range, to speak with him again man to man, to lure him into further bravados.

From Broken to the Plow by Dobie, Charles Caldwell

She makes sorties and attacks, she endeavours to hide her weakness by her bravados, and when she replies most disdainfully to a summons to capitulate, is perhaps on the eve of surrender.

From At Agincourt by Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)

Next to being raided by the sheriff of an adjacent county, having a river prophet come on board is the greatest excitement and the smartest amusement of the bravados down the river.

From The River Prophet by Coleman, Ralph P. (Ralph Pallen)

Related Words

• bluster