Word Of The Week #99
Word Of The Week -- magniloquent
Definition: mag·nil·o·quent (māg-nĭl'&-kw&nt)
adj.Speaking or expressed in a lofty or grandiose style; pompous; bombastic; boastful.
Etymology: [Back formation from magniloquence, grandiloquence, from Latin magniloquentia: magnus, great; see meg- in Indo-European roots + loquēns, loquent-, present participle of loquī, to speak; see tolkw- in Indo-European roots.]
Obscurity: 30% (I know where and how to use this word, but am uncertain of its actual definition.)
Usefulness: 25% (More common synonyms are generally preferred, but meaning is generally clear from context.)
Examples:
(def. 1) "John Kerry's magniloquent speaking style was well-suited for a Senatorial career, but fell a little flat in the context of a presidential candidate."
Here's a reader contribution, submitted by letsgomiah a few weeks ago.
An interesting word with a pretty nuanced definition. At first glance it might appear to be a compliment, as there is something to be said for lofty (q.v. Barack Obama) and grandiose (q.v. Robert Byrd) speech at times. And yet nobody likes to listen to boastful bombast (q.v. George W. Bush), do they?
In fact, the word itself sort of sounds like a malapropism that our president might coin: "That was one magniloquent dinner you served there, Your Excellency. My compliments to the chef."
--- Ajax.