inflated
Americanadjective
-
distended with air or gas; swollen.
-
puffed up, as with pride.
-
turgid or bombastic.
his inflated prose.
-
unduly increased in level.
inflated costs.
-
Economics. unduly expanded in amount, value, or size; characterized by inflation.
-
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.
They circulated inflated casualty figures in an open letter to Pope John Paul II and others.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
On top of that, Microsoft must deal with inflated memory prices.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
"Appointments made against a backdrop of social turmoil always come with many pitfalls," said Prytula, adding that Drapaty now faces "inflated expectations".
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
He said that his role had been inflated into something it was not, and focused largely on the investigation, not on the relationship.
From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026
One of them is wearing a fully inflated blue balloon.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
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.
