bravado
noun
bra·va·do brə-ˈvä-(ˌ)dō 
plural bravadoes or bravados
1
a
: blustering swaggering conduct
youthful bravado
b
: a pretense of bravery
2
: the quality or state of being foolhardy
Did you know?
Bravado ultimately traces to the Old Italian adjective bravo, meaning "courageous" or "wild." Nowadays, the wildness once associated with bravado has been tamed to an overbearing boldness that comes from arrogance or a position of power. Celebrities, political or corporate giants, and the schoolyard bully may all show bravado (though they often turn out to be not so tough after all). Bravado is also used for show-offish, daring acts that seem reckless and inconsistent with good sense, but might nonetheless be applauded with shouts of "Bravo!" when successful (the spectacular feats of stuntmen, for example).
Example Sentences
His stories are always told with bravado. I remember his youthful bravado.
Recent Examples on the Web The supremely talented slugger rose to prominence with bat-flipping bravado that some saw as arrogance and others embraced as the face of a new generation in a staid game. 
Bruce Orwall, WSJ, 14 Aug. 2022 Her performance here, ever unfazed by a man’s needs but totally clued into his desires, is marked by her characteristic bravado. Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 22 July 2022 The first overall pick in the 2020 draft with the bravado and the flair for the big moments had nine of his team’s first 11 points. Dave Campbell, ajc, 30 Apr. 2022 That's why brands like Celsius are attempting to appeal to a broader audience and to attract Gen Z consumers who were turned off by male bravado marketing. Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 18 Aug. 2022 In the last hour or so, though, Mr. Howard reverts to type and channels some Hollywood bravado. Kyle Smith, WSJ, 4 Aug. 2022 All four artists exemplify the tactful bravado that makes Black women so very necessary to both genres. Essence, 8 July 2022 Still, there is plenty of the Drake his fans have grown to love—the humorous one-liners and the emotive soul-baring mixed with caustic bravado. Neil Shah, WSJ, 17 June 2022 Mitchell sat down with THR to discuss their approach to the over-the-top character and finding the human underneath the bravado. Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 June 2022 See More
Bruce Orwall, WSJ, 14 Aug. 2022 Her performance here, ever unfazed by a man’s needs but totally clued into his desires, is marked by her characteristic bravado. Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 22 July 2022 The first overall pick in the 2020 draft with the bravado and the flair for the big moments had nine of his team’s first 11 points. Dave Campbell, ajc, 30 Apr. 2022 That's why brands like Celsius are attempting to appeal to a broader audience and to attract Gen Z consumers who were turned off by male bravado marketing. Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 18 Aug. 2022 In the last hour or so, though, Mr. Howard reverts to type and channels some Hollywood bravado. Kyle Smith, WSJ, 4 Aug. 2022 All four artists exemplify the tactful bravado that makes Black women so very necessary to both genres. Essence, 8 July 2022 Still, there is plenty of the Drake his fans have grown to love—the humorous one-liners and the emotive soul-baring mixed with caustic bravado. Neil Shah, WSJ, 17 June 2022 Mitchell sat down with THR to discuss their approach to the over-the-top character and finding the human underneath the bravado. Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle French bravade & Old Spanish bravata, from Old Italian bravata, from bravare to challenge, show off, from bravo
First Known Use
circa 1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
bravado
noun
as in arrogance
confident or brave talk or behavior that is intended to impress other people His stories are always told with bravado. I remember his youthful bravado. Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- arrogance
- attitude
- swagger
- braggadocio
- boastfulness
- triumphalism
- bombast
- disdain
- imperiousness
- vainglory
- haughtiness
- superciliousness
- pridefulness
- pomposity
- strut
- hauteur
- superiority
- pompousness
- pride
- presumptuousness
- peremptoriness
- lordliness
- assumption
- loftiness
- cheek
- masterfulness
- vaingloriousness
- huffiness
- bossiness
- dominance
- condescension
- bumptiousness
- pretentiousness
- vanity
- pretence
- pretense
- scorn
- pretension
- high horse
- brag
- cockiness
- snobbery
- self-importance
- snobbishness
- cheekiness
- authoritativeness
- high-handedness
- snootiness
- snobbism
- smugness
- consequence
- impudence
- chest-thumping
- inflation
- sauciness
- self-consequence
- toploftiness
- bowwow
- egotism
- egoism
- self-assertion
- complacence
- impertinence
- conceit
- side
- self-satisfaction
- self-opinion
- swelled head
- self-complacency
- self-centeredness
- self-contentment
- self-conceit
- self-content
- superiority complex
- self-assumption
- self-partiality
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- shyness
- bashfulness
- timidity
- diffidence
- demureness
- timidness
- passivity
- meekness
- passiveness
- submissiveness
- humility
- modesty
- self-doubt
- reservedness
- quietness
- self-distrust
- retiringness
- lowliness
- unpretentiousness
- reserve
- mousiness
- unassumingness
- polyneuritises
- Polynices
- polynoid
- Polynoidae
- polynomial
- polynomially
- polynomials
- polynuclear
- polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon
- polynucleotide
- polynucleotides
- polynya
- polynyas
- polynyi
- polyoda
- polyodic
- Polyodon
- polyodons
- polyodont
- polyodontia
- Polyodontidae
- polyodontidaes
- polyodontoid
- polyoecious
- polyoeciously