Bombastical

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Marked by an extravagant and ostentatious use of language that often overshadows real meaning
2. Characterized by language that is overly showy and excessively elaborate, often masking the true substance
3. Displaying a style of speaking or writing that is inflated and pretentious, drawing attention to form over content

Etymology: Bombast began life as a material, not a manner of speaking. In the late Middle Ages it meant cotton wool or padding, the stuffing used to give garments shape, and the word was borrowed from Old French "bombace", which traced back to Latin "bombyx" (silk or silk-like cotton). Only later did it come to describe inflated, padded language, as though a speech could be stuffed with cotton to look more substantial than it was. "Bombastical" is simply that noun with the adjectival suffix "-ical" added, following the pattern of words like "comical" or "logical". The suffix is a Greek-derived ending that English attached to many nouns to form adjectives, so the form adds emphasis to the sense of the base word rather than introducing a new idea.

Synonyms: pompous, grandiose, pretentious, ostentatious, flamboyant

Antonyms: humble, modest, simple, understated, genuine