grandiose

grandiose
—grandiosely, adv. —grandioseness, grandiosity /gran'dee os"i tee/, n.
/gran"dee ohs'/, adj.
1. affectedly grand or important; pompous: grandiose words.
2. more complicated or elaborate than necessary; overblown: a grandiose scheme.
3. grand in an imposing or impressive way.
4. Psychiatry. having an exaggerated belief in one's importance, sometimes reaching delusional proportions, and occurring as a common symptom of mental illnesses, as manic disorder.
[1830-40; < F < It grandioso < L grandi(s) grand + -osus -OSE1]
Syn. 1. pretentious, extravagant, flamboyant, splashy, high-flown. 2. GRANDIOSE, SHOWY, OSTENTATIOUS, PRETENTIOUS all refer to conspicuous outward display, either designed to attract attention or likely to do so. GRANDIOSE and SHOWY are alike in that they may suggest impressiveness that is not objectionable: the grandiose sweep of the arch; a fresh bouquet of showy zinnias. GRANDIOSE, however, most often implies inflation or exaggeration to the point of absurdity: grandiose, impractical plans; a ridiculously grandiose manner. SHOWY sometimes suggests a meretricious gaudiness or flashiness: a showy taste in dress.
OSTENTATIOUS, which refers to behavior or manner clearly designed to impress, also has negative connotations: an ostentatious display of wealth; an assumption of superiority too ostentatious to be ignored. PRETENTIOUS, like the preceding term, is always derogatory, implying falseness or exaggeration in claims made or implied: natural and straightforward, not pretentious; pretentious language designed to mask the absence of real content.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • grandiose — [ grɑ̃djoz ] adj. • 1798; it. grandioso ♦ Qui frappe, impressionne par son caractère de grandeur, son aspect majestueux, son ampleur. ⇒ imposant, impressionnant, magnifique, majestueux. « un art magnifique, grandiose, solennel, mais [...]… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Grandiose — Gran di*ose , a. [F. grandiose, It. grandioso. See {Grand}.] 1. Impressive or elevating in effect; imposing; splendid; striking; in a good sense. [1913 Webster] The tone of the parts was to be perpetually kept down in order not to impair the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • grandiose — 1828 (earlier as a French word in English), from Fr. grandiose impressive (18c.), from It. grandioso, from L. grandis big (see GRAND (Cf. grand) (adj.)). Related: Grandiosely …   Etymology dictionary

  • grandiose — I adjective affected, boastful, bombastic, enormous, exorbitant, flamboyant, flashy, flaunting, fustian, grandiloquent, high sounding, huge, immense, inflated, lofty, magniloquent, mighty, ornate, orotund, ostentatious, pompous, pretentious,… …   Law dictionary

  • grandiose — imposing, stately, *grand, august, magnificent, majestic, noble Analogous words: ostentatious, pretentious, *showy: grandiloquent, magniloquent, *rhetorical …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • grandiose — [adj] theatrical, extravagant affected, ambitious, august, bombastic, cosmic, egotistic, flamboyant, fustian, grand, high falutin’*, high flown, imposing, impressive, lofty, lordly, magnificent, majestic, monumental, noble, ostentatious,… …   New thesaurus

  • grandiose — ► ADJECTIVE 1) impressive or magnificent, especially pretentiously so. 2) conceived on a very ambitious scale. DERIVATIVES grandiosely adverb grandiosity noun. ORIGIN Italian grandioso, from grande grand …   English terms dictionary

  • grandiose — [gran′dē ōs΄, gran΄dē ōs′; ] also [, gran΄dēōz΄] adj. [Fr < It grandioso < L grandis, great, GRAND] 1. having grandeur or magnificence; imposing; impressive 2. seeming or trying to seem very important; pompous and showy SYN. GRAND… …   English World dictionary

  • grandiose — gran•di•ose [[t]ˈgræn diˌoʊs[/t]] adj. 1) affectedly grand; pompous: grandiose words[/ex] 2) more complicated than necessary: a grandiose scheme[/ex] 3) grand in an imposing way • Etymology: 1830–40; < F < It grandioso < L grandi(s)… …   From formal English to slang

  • GRANDIOSE — adj. des deux genres T. emprunté de l italien. Il se dit, surtout dans les Beaux Arts, De ce qui impose, de ce qui frappe l imagination par un caractère de grandeur, de noblesse, de majesté. Composition grandiose. Cette architecture est d un… …   Dictionnaire de l'Academie Francaise, 7eme edition (1835)

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