windbag

American  

[wind-bag] / ˈwɪndˌbæg /

noun

1. Also called bag of wind.  Informal. an empty, voluble, pretentious talker.

2. the bag of a bagpipe.

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windbag British  

/ ˈwɪndˌbæɡ /

noun

1. slang a voluble person who has little of interest to communicate

2. the bag in a set of bagpipes, which provides a continuous flow of air to the pipes

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Other Word Forms

• windbaggery noun

Etymology

Origin of windbag

A late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; wind ¹, bag

Example Sentences

Its brevity made it an excellent vehicle for wit — a barb for puncturing bloated egos and windbag grandiosity.

From New York Times • Feb. 9, 2022

He knows which way the wind is blowing, and he will do his best to become a windbag that blows in that direction, whatever humiliating deflation is required first.

From Washington Post • Jan. 7, 2022

The windbag in question is Thomas Wolfe, by all accounts the most difficult and irrepressible talent in Perkins’ stable — and also the most outlandishly theatrical, to judge by Jude Law’s puckish performance in the role.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2016

This windbag at a party about five years ago told me, very loudly, that I had written only one book; the rest are screenplays.

From The Guardian • Dec. 19, 2015

There were some who admired him and others who considered him a pompous windbag.

From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger