Unpacking "Bombast": From Cotton Padding to Empty Oratory
Education
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Moneycontrol•29-01-2026, 09:41
Unpacking "Bombast": From Cotton Padding to Empty Oratory
- •"Bombast" originates from Old French "bombace" (cotton) and Medieval Latin "bombax," initially referring to cotton padding used to stuff garments in the 16th century.
- •Metaphorically, it evolved to describe language "padded out" with grandiose words, making speech seem more substantial than it is.
- •Bombast signifies pompous, pretentious, high-sounding but empty speech or writing, characterized by disproportionate rhetorical force compared to underlying thought.
- •Synonyms include bluster, grandiloquence, and fustian, while antonyms are plain speaking, succinctness, and restraint.
- •It is often found in political speeches, academic writing, or critical reviews where authority is untethered from expertise, serving as a defensive tactic to mask insecurity.
Why It Matters: Bombast describes inflated, empty language, originating from garment padding, used to mask insecurity or lack of substance.
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