Tom was full of bombast and pride until a dart flew straight into his forehead.
Source: tatoeba (10890271)
Bombast
/ˈbɒmbæst/
Synonyms for "bombast" (130 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (26)
Strong matches (39)
conceitdouble talkdouble-talkdriveldroolfalderalfanfaronadefiddle faddlefiddle-faddlefiddledeedeeflatulenceflummeryfolderolfudgefustiangabblegalimatiasgammongasconadegasconism
Show 14 more words
Noun(5 words)
Related words (65)
jactitationjargonlay it on thicklexiphanicismmagniloquencemouthmumbo jumbonarrishkeitniaiserienonsenseorateorotunditypack of nonsensepalaverpile it onpontificateprateprattlepufferypyrotechnics
Noun(13 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: absurdity, amphigory, babble, babblement, balderdash.
- Sentence evidence is available for bombast, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, wordnet, derived_reverse, opengloss, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "bombast".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "bombast"
Keep "bombast" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "bombast" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "bombast", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "bombast" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
12 entriesMore specific
6 entriesCollocations
5 entriesgarment paddinghistoric paddingpadded silhouettepadding materialtextile padding
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
3 entriesSample sentences
14 total sentences available.
What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are, to Him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy — a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of the United States, at this very hour.
Source: tatoeba (11906425)
SURBATING; a Diſtemper in a Horſe, who is ſaid to be ſurbated, when the Sole is worn, bruiſed or ſpoiled by travelling without Shoes, or with ill ſhoeing: [...] take Frankincenſe, and rolling it in a little fine Cotton Wool or Bombaſt, with a hot Iron melt it into the Foot betwixt the Shoe and the Toe, until the Orifice, where the Blood was taken away, is fill'd up; [...]
Source: wiktionary
This strange wool-bearing plant is of the mallow tribe. [...] Another name formerly given to the vegetable fleece was bombast. This word was in use before our ancestors were skilful enough to weave the cotton wool which was brought to them from the East in the merchant ships of Venice and Genoa. What they did not want for candle-wicks, they employed in stuffing and wadding their doublets and other articles of dress.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 14 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "bombast"?
Closest matches include absurdity, amphigory, babble, babblement, balderdash.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "bombast"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.