bravado

noun

bra·va·do brə-ˈvä-(ˌ)dō

plural bravadoes or bravados

Synonyms of bravado next

: blustering swaggering conduct

youthful bravado

: a pretense of bravery

: the quality or state of being foolhardy

Did you know?

Displays of bravado may be show-offish, daring, reckless, and inconsistent with good sense—take, for example, the spectacular feats of stuntpeople—but when successful they are still likely to be met with shouts of "bravo!" Celebrities, political leaders, corporate giants, and schoolyard bullies, however, may show a different flavor of bravado: one that suggests an overbearing boldness that comes from arrogance or a position of power. The word bravado originally comes from the Old Italian adjective bravo, meaning "wild" or "courageous," which English has also to thank for the more ubiquitous brave.

Examples of bravado in a Sentence

His stories are always told with bravado. I remember his youthful bravado.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The text messages — rife with bravado, boasts and intrigue — have fueled a scandal that has rocked the entertainment industry and spotlighted the ruthless underbelly of the Hollywood publicity machine. —

Matt Hamilton, Los Angeles Times, 29 Dec. 2024 Loading your audio article SANTA CLARA — The 49ers came into this season with unjustified bravado and confidence. —

Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 12 Dec. 2024 But their portrait doesn’t live up to the bravado or promise of Mary’s declaration. —

Lisa Kennedy, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2024 The new clip — gloriously narrated with cheeky bravado by Alan Cumming — finds Hilton and Richie doing a bit of their old Simple Life shtick, picking up odd jobs like a shift at Sonic or serving as guides on a Hollywood tour bus. —

Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 4 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bravado