1
as in rhetorical
full of fine words and fancy expressions
poets in the 19th century tended to write poetry filled with grandiloquent phrases
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pontifical
marked by the use of impressive-sounding but mostly meaningless words and phrases
at Independence Day celebrations grandiloquent speeches by local politicians are as traditional as fireworks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of grandiloquent
There was Coppola’s over-the-top defense of his friend with a grandiloquent gesture (Tanen declined to sell).
—
Michael O’Donnell, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
Reform—Within Reason Malthus aimed to puncture Godwin’s grandiloquent progressivism.
—Roy Scranton, JSTOR Daily, 18 Sep. 2025
Michael O’Donnell, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
Reform—Within Reason Malthus aimed to puncture Godwin’s grandiloquent progressivism.
—Roy Scranton, JSTOR Daily, 18 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grandiloquent
Adjective
-
But both men benefit from a shock-and-awe rhetorical strategy.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
-
Hosts sometimes have an argumentative style or adopt rhetorical strategies such as irony, jokes, and humor.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Leo opened his visit to Pompeii by meeting with sick and disabled people who are cared for by a charity center affiliated with the sanctuary, which Leo’s namesake, Pope Leo XIII, declared a pontifical basilica in 1901.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 May 2026
-
That public spat has overshadowed his pontifical tour of four African countries, which ended Thursday with a Mass for thousands of people in Malabo, the former capital of Equatorial Guinea.—
Claudio Lavanga,
NBC news,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Ladies who lunch at The George cross paths with ladies who launch (startups, that is), men in smart suits are occasionally gala-bound, and creatives on laptops greet locals stopping in for a drink or afternoon tea under the ornate ceilings.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 May 2026
-
The insider added that the mom-to-be repeatedly gushed over the ornate decorations.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
22 May 2026
Adjective
-
Some even require dedicated facilities, leading to inflated costs.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
-
The new movie, by contrast, is an inflated meditation on fiction and reality.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
Those reservations have been blown up by the bombastic presence of Alcaraz combined with Sinner’s stoicism, a synergy seen in full force at Roland Garros last year.—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
12 May 2026
-
That claim sounds bombastic when much of the art world sees the headline grabbing Banksy as a guilty pleasure at best.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grandiloquent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grandiloquent. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
