windbag

[ wind-bag ]

noun

1. Informal. Also called bag of wind [wind]. an empty, voluble, pretentious talker.
2. the bag of a bagpipe.

windbag

/ ˈwɪndˌbæɡ /

noun

1. slang.
   a voluble person who has little of interest to communicate
2. the bag in a set of bagpipes, which provides a continuous flow of air to the pipes

Other Words From

• wind·bag·ger·y noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of windbag¹

A late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; wind ¹, bag

Example Sentences

More broadly, though, he cast Barnett as a harmless windbag — “that nutty uncle” who has “no sense of boundaries” or “societal norms,” who “doesn’t necessarily fit in today’s world” and “routinely offends others” with political incorrectness.

From Washington Post

Yet there he stood — noted anti-vaxxer, suspected antisemite, overexposed anti-logic windbag — in a position to hijack attention and humiliate a league that has gone to great lengths to promote social equality.

From Washington Post

The 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” — King against the chauvinist windbag Bobby Riggs — set a new and lasting tone.

From New York Times

Every actor to incarnate Poirot has played him differently: Tony Randall’s screwball, Albert Finney’s brilliantined grouch and Peter Ustinov’s avuncular windbag made the Belgian a figure of fun.

From Los Angeles Times

Its brevity made it an excellent vehicle for wit — a barb for puncturing bloated egos and windbag grandiosity.

From New York Times