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.