noun
braggadocio
brag-uh-DOH-chee-oh/ˌbræɡəˈdəʊtʃiəʊ/
Talk or behavior that boasts about one's importance or abilities.
His braggadocio exaggerates the fish's size far beyond the small actual catch.
Etymology
Brag with an Italian-style augmentative ending became Spenser’s name for a personification of vainglory. The name then came to mean an empty swaggerer, and finally the boastful talk of such a person.
In context
Mr. Hume's braggadocio about Lord Ripon's high opinion of Hume's Theosophy and his big talk
More examples
- She answered his braggadocio with a quiet account of the facts.
- The speech contained plenty of braggadocio but little evidence.
- Behind the braggadocio, he seemed unsure of his abilities.
Forms
braggadocio
Similar words
- confidence
- Confidence is belief in one's abilities; braggadocio loudly advertises or exaggerates them.