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Apr 22, 2014
This week's theme
Words to describe people

This week's words
tractable
bombastic
impecunious
petulant
incorrigible

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A.Word.A.Day
with Anu Garg

bombastic

PRONUNCIATION:
(bom-BAS-tik)

MEANING:
adjective: Pompous or pretentious (in speech or writing).

ETYMOLOGY:
From Old French bombace (cotton padding), from Latin bombax (cotton). Earliest documented use: 1704. Also see bombast.

USAGE:
"Mr. Satya Nadella is a leader with a low-key style that differs from Mr. Ballmer's bombastic manner."
Nick Wingfield; Microsoft Names New Chief; The New York Times; Feb 4, 2014.

See more usage examples of bombastic in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
Myth: we have to save the earth. Frankly, the earth doesn't need to be saved. Nature doesn't give a hoot if human beings are here or not. The planet has survived cataclysmic and catastrophic changes for millions upon millions of years. Over that time, it is widely believed, 99 percent of all species have come and gone while the planet has remained. Saving the environment is really about saving our environment -- making it safe for ourselves, our children, and the world as we know it. If more people saw the issue as one of saving themselves, we would probably see increased motivation and commitment to actually do so. -Robert M. Lilienfeld, management consultant and author (b. 1953) and William L. Rathje, archaeologist and author (b. 1945)

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