bravado
noun
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Displays of bravado may be show-offish, daring, reckless, and inconsistent with good sense—take, for example, the spectacular feats of stuntpeople—but when successful they are still likely to be met with shouts of "bravo!" Celebrities, political leaders, corporate giants, and schoolyard bullies, however, may show a different flavor of bravado: one that suggests an overbearing boldness that comes from arrogance or a position of power. The word bravado originally comes from the Old Italian adjective bravo, meaning "wild" or "courageous," which English has also to thank for the more ubiquitous brave.
Examples of bravado in a Sentence
Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2025
If the world, led by Europe, sold American bonds, U.S. domestic interest rates would spike upwards, taking some of the bravado off the MAGA swagger.
—David McWilliams, Time, 9 Apr. 2025
Ellie, now 19 years old, still sports the edge of youthful bravado.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 7 Apr. 2025
As trade tensions escalate and market volatility increases, Buffett's perspective offers a sobering counterpoint to political bravado.
—Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bravado
Cite this Entry
“Bravado.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bravado. Accessed 1 May. 2025.
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bravado
noun
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