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Glite Dictionary
to bloviate

to bloviate

2 9.9
To speak for a long time in a proud way with little real meaning
  • verb
  • /ˈbloʊviˌeɪt/
  • US
translation icon : hablar de manera pomposa
  • And is it irresponsible to put Alex Jones on and have him bloviate and, and, and, and find it funny?

And is it irresponsible to put Alex Jones on and have him bloviate and, and, and, and find it funny?

Examples

  • So I'm going to stop bloviating here because this podcast just, it speaks for itself.

  • During the debate, the candidate will bloviate instead of addressing the real issues facing voters.

  • Can you imagine sitting and listening to them bloviate?

    Blog text (20)

  • Let them bloviate and ignore them as the morons they are.

    Blog text (24)

  • We all sit on the forum and, as Bill O'Reilly would say, bloviate all over the place, trying to sound important but offering nothing of substance.

    Blog text (4)

  • They bloviated endlessly on talk shows, explaining why their favored candidate would win and how he would do it.

    Blog text (32)

  • I don't see you sitting quietly... while he bloviates on his postgrad thesis about Proust.

    Gone Girl (2014)

  • At the meeting, he tends to bloviate, often losing the audience's interest with his lengthy speeches.

  • Instead of providing clear answers, she often bloviates about her qualifications and accomplishments.

Synonyms

to blather
vsto bloviate
  • Informal
12 8.0

To talk a lot in a silly way that makes little sense

is more pompous and boastful rather than silly
to blither
vsto bloviate
7 9.9

To talk in a silly, confused way that has little meaning

is more pompous and boastful rather than nonsensical
to blabber
vsto bloviate
  • Informal
6 7.8

To talk too much and tell secrets carelessly

is more pompous and boastful rather than careless and revealing
to puff
vsto bloviate
4 7.0

To act or speak in a proud, boastful way

is often longwinded and pompous rather than merely boastful
to blether
vsto bloviate
  • UK
1 9.9

To talk a long time in a silly or unimportant way

is more pompous and boastful rather than simply silly
to platitudinize
vsto bloviate
9.9

To speak or write dull, obvious things instead of new ideas

is more pompous and boastful rather than trite
to blellum
vsto bloviate
  • Slang
9.9

To talk a lot in a silly, pointless way

is more pompous and boastful rather than continuous chattering

How Long-Winded

to bloviate
  • US
2 9.9
to ramble
  • Informal
48 5.3
to speak
∞ 1.0
to chat
  • Informal
269 1.0

Surface Forms

bloviate infinitive
bloviated past
bloviated past participle
bloviating present participle
bloviates third person singular

Morphology

bloviate = blow (semi-transparent) = blov + iate

Derived from colloquial 'blow' (sense 'boast') plus Latinate suffix '-iate'; the relation is detectable but relies on knowledge of informal 'blow' meaning and the stylistic suffix.

Etymology

Bloviate comes from the image of blow meaning 'to blow air' combined with a showy ending, so you can think of it as 'blow hot air'. So to bloviate is to speak at length in a boastful, empty way with little real content.