grandiloquence

[ gran-dil-uh-kwuhns ]

noun

1. speech that is lofty in tone, often to the point of being pompous or bombastic.

Word History and Origins

Origin of grandiloquence¹

1580–90; < Latin grandiloqu ( us ) speaking loftily ( grandi ( s ) great + -loquus speaking) + -ence

Example Sentences

“Authentic Presence” manages to feel weighty while also ephemeral, grand without grandiloquence, understated in its execution yet unafraid of dramatic gesture.

From New York Times

His often hilarious struggles are related by Big’s little brother, Meed — short for “Medium Big” — with a marvelously rough-hewn quality that is perfectly captured through the halting grandiloquence of Feodor Chin’s inspired narration.

From Seattle Times

With a certain dramatic grandiloquence, he slurped the oyster into his mouth.

From Literature

As the critic Justin Davidson put it, Johnson’s design for AT&T “deliberately made it hard to distinguish between true grandeur and mock grandiloquence.”

From New York Times

The dry grandiloquence of the narration puts Celeste at a remove, making her seem more distant than she might be in a movie more interested in milking the viewer’s empathy and tears.

From New York Times