Bravado
/brəˈvɑː.doʊ/noun
A swaggering show of courage or confidence, often meant to impress or hide fear.
Did you know?Bravado entered English from Spanish, where it meant “bravery” or “bold display,” and its deeper root is tied to a word family for “rough, wild, or savage” energy.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Italic
PIE
*bʰerəgʰ-
“to flash, shine, or be bright”
Latin
Latin
bravus
“wild, rough, savage”
Spanish
Spanish
bravado
“brave, valiant display; swagger”
16th Century
English
bravado
“a swaggering display of courage”
Modern English
English
bravado
“a show of boldness meant to impress or conceal fear”