bombastic
bom·bas·tic/bɑmˈbæs.tɪk/adjective
bombastic is spelled B-O-M-B-A-S-T-I-C: 9 letters and 3 syllables (bom·bas·tic). It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 45,363rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, bombastic means “showy in speech and given to using flowery or elaborate terms; grandiloquent; pompous” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in bombastic?
| Letters | 9: B-O-M-B-A-S-T-I-C |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: bom·bas·tic |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 45,363rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is bombastic?
Bombastic appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 45,363rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce bombastic?
- UK /bɒmˈbæs.tɪk/
- US /bɑmˈbæs.tɪk/
Bombastic has 3 syllables, split bom·bas·tic in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-bombastic.ogg, En-au-bombastic.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with bombastic?
10 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as bombastic from its last stressed vowel (/æstɪk/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of bombastic
- more bombastic comparative
- most bombastic superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does bombastic mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
showy in speech and given to using flowery or elaborate terms; grandiloquent; pompous
- 2
High‐sounding but with little meaning.
- 3
colloquialLoud, aggressive, highly exaggerated, or explosive in manner or delivery; over‐the‐top.
- 4
archaicInflated, overfilled.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Bombastic in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | ampoulé, boursouflé, enflé, pompeux , abscons, verbeux |
| German | bombastisch, geschwollen, pompös |
| Portuguese | bombástico |
| Spanish | bombástico, rimbombante |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does bombastic come from?
From bombast (“padding, stuffing”) + -ic, 18th century. Sense evolution possibly influenced by unrelated bomb and bombard; see also bombard phrase.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).