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.

Smith has largely played supporting roles in Todd Haynes' films (May December, Carol, and Wonderstruck), which makes his ability to burst onto the screen with all of Chase’s bravado and cocksure swagger all the more wondrous. —

Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 3 Oct. 2024 Kushner scrambles conventional ideas about gender, skewering male bravado while also subverting familiar ideas of femininity. —

Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 3 Sep. 2024 And just on the other side of James stood Kevin Durant, the one player who has been able to crack Edwards’ bravado and turn him from fearless to fanboy. —

Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 15 Aug. 2024 Modern Warfare would become known for its bombastic, contemporary stories with Michael Bay-sized set pieces and bravado, with larger than life characters defined by thick accents, bushy mustaches, and cool masks. —

Cade Onder, Rolling Stone, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bravado