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 Trump so far, it’s mostly been rhetorical.
-
Beginning in her early teens, Joyce loved watching Kirk’s debates on Instagram, seeing in them not carefully honed rhetorical tactics but authentic civility.
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.
-
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.
Adjective
-
Hand engraving and ornate craftsmanship have also become more desirable as consumers gravitate toward pieces that feel handmade and deeply personal.
-
The cathedral, its peaceful cloister, and its ornate crypt are also worth a visit.
Adjective
-
Simón, who undertook a similar odyssey at the same age, never allows this delicate story to succumb to self-indulgence or an inflated sense of its own importance.
-
As Jackson County legislators consider whether to implement a tax credit program to homeowners who paid inflated property tax bills in 2023, county homeowners and organizations are split on who should bear the cost.
Adjective
-
Clive was big, and bombastic, and brave, and full of ideas, and just believed, believed, believed, believed.
-
There’s a strange irony—though, perhaps, little surprise—that this is how the bombastic Tory politico is now spending his time.
Cite this Entry
“Grandiloquent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grandiloquent. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
