swashbuckling
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
-
of or characteristic of a swashbuckler
-
(esp of films in period costume) full of adventure and excitement
Etymology
Origin of swashbuckling
First recorded in 1685–95; swashbuckl(er) + -ing 2, -ing 1
Explanation
Going on bold, exciting, and exotic adventures is swashbuckling. The stories of the heroic outlaw Robin Hood involve a lot of swashbuckling. You can use swashbuckling as a noun or an adjective, so you might dress up as the swashbuckling Inigo Montoya from the movie The Princess Bride, or try to convince your friends to watch a movie full of adventure and swashbuckling. Swashbuckler came first, a 16th-century name for a swaggering fighter. Earlier, such a character was simply called a swash, which also meant "fall of a blow."
Vocabulary lists containing swashbuckling
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.
“He’d come to 101 Park Avenue, where I was a lawyer. He had this swashbuckling style,” Witkoff told a surprised Tucker Carlson on an early-2025 appearance on Carlson’s podcast.
From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026
The new game, much like the original, offers a wide variety of activities ranging from swashbuckling and boarding ships to exploring the islands of the Caribbean.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
But when Adidas unveiled the kits for the tournament, swashbuckling centre back Alexi Lalas and his team-mates thought they had been pranked.
From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026
"I think swashbuckling, you know 'move fast and break things,' has kind of come out of favor," the physicist told AFP.
From Barron's ● May 20, 2026
I recall one of the first ones was The Mark of Zorro, with the swashbuckling Douglas Fairbanks, a movie that was made in 1920.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
