YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME
Grandiloquent
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Meaning in plain English
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Pronunciation
Grandiloquent/ɡrænˈdɪləkwənt/
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A simple idea
Expressed in pompous, grand language
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Examples in context
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- The politician’s grandiloquent speech was full of big words but short on substance.
- His grandiloquent storytelling made even the simplest events sound like epic adventures.
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The politician’s ________ speech was full of big words but short on substance.
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Grandiloquent — Using lofty, pompous, or extravagant language to impress or sound important.
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Using lofty, pompous, or extravagant language to impress or sound important.
Compare: The politician’s grandiloquent speech was full of big words but short on substance.
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Grandiloquent versus eloquent
Grandiloquent language is elaborate and inflated; it often seems designed to impress. Eloquent language expresses something effectively and need not be elaborate. A plain sentence can be eloquent. When calling writing grandiloquent, identify the unnecessary grandeur rather than assuming that every long word is a problem.
In context: The grandiloquent announcement called a new kettle a triumph of human ingenuity.
Try it: Which is more direct: “We shall commence our culinary endeavours” or “Let’s start cooking”?
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Let’s start cooking is more direct. The first could sound grandiloquent in an ordinary kitchen conversation.
Dictionary reference: Merriam-Webster: Grandiloquent.
Word origin
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