1
as in magnificent
large and impressive in size, grandeur, extent, or conception
a grandiose plan to upgrade the entire interstate highway system in 10 years
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in arrogant
self-consciously trying to present an appearance of grandeur or importance
made some grandiose claim that she was the descendant of a French princess
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of grandiose
With the city facing multi-year budget shortfalls, building a grandiose and unpopular monument makes little sense when far less expensive alternatives exist.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
As the product failed, employees were let go and the company crumbled, Cremily’s grandiose visions descended into chaos.
—Sam Blum, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2026
In its place rose the grandiose Palace of the Parliament—a neoclassical hulk that is the second-largest administrative building in the world, surpassed only by the Pentagon.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
The cold indifference of history buried that grandiose tyrant in the oblivion of the desert — a haunting reminder that even the most grandiose of leaders are but fleeting shadows in the long arc of history.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grandiose
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2026
As the product failed, employees were let go and the company crumbled, Cremily’s grandiose visions descended into chaos.
—Sam Blum, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2026
In its place rose the grandiose Palace of the Parliament—a neoclassical hulk that is the second-largest administrative building in the world, surpassed only by the Pentagon.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026
The cold indifference of history buried that grandiose tyrant in the oblivion of the desert — a haunting reminder that even the most grandiose of leaders are but fleeting shadows in the long arc of history.
—Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for grandiose
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grandiose
Adjective
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Everyone’s soft gazes soon hardened as the magnificent baby with so many rolls and love handles proved to be all unsightly flab.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
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However, Antalya’s resort-style atmosphere, magnificent beaches, and calmer surroundings help patients recover as if on holiday.—
K.H. Koehler,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The series has devolved into a hysteria that the young and arrogant Timberwolves feed on since that first quarter of Game 2.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
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However, many thought Tilson Thomas too brash and arrogant to lead an orchestra, and, around the same time, Tilson Thomas fell in with New York’s disco-hopping crowd.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Vertical’s lavish Saudi-shot epic Desert Warrior opened to $472k on 1,010 screens.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
26 Apr. 2026
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The offense came up with timely hits early, Garrett Crochet was back to being Garrett Crochet and in the top of the ninth, the Red Sox erupted in epic fashion, scoring 10 runs to turn what was already a blowout into an absolute laugher.—
Mac Cerullo,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Where these collections once prioritized open-toed sandals and breezy silhouettes, more ostentatious and conceptual collections have instead followed suit.—
Alexandra Hildreth,
Vogue,
27 Apr. 2026
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Why does City Hall need to be so big and ostentatious?—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Fascism captivated people by absorbing them in fantasy worlds, combining a nostalgic past with a glorious future, and giving them theater every day of their lives.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
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With glorious small town production design by Suzie Davies, and superb visual effects, animation, and puppetry creating the sheep, this fine family film looks every bit as colorful and idyllic as Babe, its distant cousin.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Crafted from 100 percent Italian calf suede and finished with smooth nappa leather, this crossbody bag is elegant from top to bottom without being pretentious.—
Tanya Sharma,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
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Drenched in designer labels and working at the house of Christian Dior, Blunt’s Emily has become the pretentious partner of a billionaire tech mogul played by Justin Theroux, sources said.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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One of the people listening was an imposing but soft-spoken guy dressed in black, with a baseball cap nearly covering his eyes.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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Only Andy Pages has looked alert in the Dodgers’ super-imposing lineup, which would have been shut out before a crowd of 45,556 at Dodger Stadium if not for Freddie Freeman’s two-out home run in the ninth inning.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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And the less said of the poorly mixed, pompous Machina, the better.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
3 Mar. 2026
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The pompous clergyman enters the life of the Bennet family, his distant cousins, with the assumption that, given his respectable position and benefactor, Lady Catherine De Bourgh, one of those daughters would be happy to marry him.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grandiose.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grandiose. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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