What does "fanfaronade" mean?
Empty, self-assertive boasting; an instance of such behaviour.
Fanfaronade
/ˌfænfɛɹəˈneɪd/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Empty, self-assertive boasting; an instance of such behaviour.
- Grammar: fanfaronade is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: anniversaries, anniversary, blazon, bluff.
- Usage evidence: […] the Gasconads of France, Rodomontads of Spain, Fanfaronads of Italy, and Bragadochio brags of all other countries, could no more astonish his invincible heart, then would the cheeping of a mouse a bear robbed of her whelps.
How to use "fanfaronade"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "fanfaronade" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
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- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "fanfaronade" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 Empty, self-assertive boasting; an instance of such behaviour. countable, uncountable
"[…] the Gasconads of France, Rodomontads of Spain, Fanfaronads of Italy, and Bragadochio brags of all other countries, could no more astonish his invincible heart, then would the cheeping of a mouse a bear robbed of her whelps."
- 2 Loud, showy display, celebration or proclamation (of something), sometimes involving the playing of trumpets or other musical instruments. countable, uncountable
"With a fanfaronade of welcome they lowered their drawbridges"
Verb
- 1 To engage in empty, self-assertive boasting. intransitive
"1990, E. Grady Jolly, United States Circuit Judge, opinion regarding the matter of Clark Pipe & Supply Co., cited in Robert L. Jordan and William D. Warren, Bankruptcy, Westbury, NY: The Foundation Press, fourth edition, 1995, pp. 653-654, Given the agreement he was working under, his testimony was hardly more than fanfaronading about the power that the agreement afforded him over the financial affairs of Clark."
- 2 To proclaim loudly; to promote enthusiastically. ambitransitive
"1892, Robert Brown, The Story of Africa and Its Explorers, London: Cassell, Volume 1, Chapter 11, p. 208, Nowadays a returning traveller with half his merits is […] fanfaronaded every step of his homeward journey. The telegraph tells how he has arrived here, the special correspondent what he has to say there, until by the time he lands at Liverpool or Plymouth […] the interviewer and the illustrated journals have taken the heart out of any tale he may have to tell."
- 3 To make a noisy, showy display or celebration; to play a fanfare. intransitive
"Even when the inhabitants of the village took to rising at four o'clock in the morning, and fanfaronaded with ill-blown bugles, and flaring torches, and a dreadful untiring drum about the street, I forbore to grumble,"
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"[…] the Gasconads of France, Rodomontads of Spain, Fanfaronads of Italy, and Bragadochio brags of all other countries, could no more astonish his invincible heart, then would the cheeping of a mouse a bear robbed of her whelps."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "fanfaronade"?
Common synonyms include: anniversaries, anniversary, blazon, bluff, bluster, bluster and bluff.
How do you use "fanfaronade" in a sentence?
[…] the Gasconads of France, Rodomontads of Spain, Fanfaronads of Italy, and Bragadochio brags of all other countries, could no more astonish his invincible heart, then would the cheeping of a mouse a bear robbed of her whelps.
How do you pronounce "fanfaronade"?
Pronounced /ˌfænfɛɹəˈneɪd/.
Etymology
From French fanfaronnade (“bragging, boasting”); other senses influenced by fanfare.