Speech Bombastic Language Writing Prose Latin Inflated Orotund

We often see the adjective form of bombast, bombastic, used alongside the collocates prose, speech, and writing, as in such phrases as a politician’s bombastic speech or the author’s bombastic prose.

Turgid comes from a Latin word meaning “to swell” and can refer to "swollen", overblown, inflated language or to physically swollen things, such as rivers.

Orotund comes from the Latin phrase ore rotundo, meaning “with rounded mouth,” and somewhat paradoxically, has either a positive or a negative connotation, depending on how it’s used. Orotund can be positive when referring to a resonant, booming voice and negative when referring to bombastic speech or writing.

Use verbose when you want to emphasize that the speech uses more words than needed. Another synonym for overly wordy language is prolix.

Use flowery when you want to describe language that includes overly ornate images and expressions.

Use pretentious when you want to emphasize language that is intentionally inflated to impress.