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.

After an overture of fierce flaming-chicken riffage, the song settles into a Prince groove, mixing hair metal bravado with a party rap vibe. —

Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 26 Nov. 2024 The New York Jets’ roots as a brash and unapologetic upstart, cemented by Joe Namath’s Super Bowl III bravado, differentiated them from the old-guard New York Giants for decades. —

Mike Sando, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024 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 See all Example Sentences for bravado