Bombast
/ˈbɒm.bæst/noun
Inflated, pretentious speech or writing.
Did you know?The word originally referred to cotton padding used in clothes, and only later became a metaphor for speech that’s padded, inflated, and all show with no substance.
Etymological Timeline
Late Middle English
English
bombast
“Cotton padding or stuffing used in garments”
Middle French
French
bombace
“Cotton padding; wadding”
Medieval Latin
Latin
bombax
“Cotton”
Late Latin / Greek
Greek
bómbyx
“Silkworm; cocoon; by extension silky fiber or fine material”
Modern English
English
bombast
“Pompous, inflated speech or writing”