Grandiose Meaning
/ɡɹæn.diˈəʊs/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjLarge and impressive, in size, scope or extent.
adjPompous or pretentious.
Sentence Examples
The space hotel had grandiose buffets throughout the whole day.
The rotting shanty town was not too distant from the grandiose temples of serpentine.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
His ____ plan to build a castle in the desert was expensive.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The billionaire's ____ plans for a private space station were criticized by some as being overly ambitious.
Word Origin & History
From French grandiose, from Italian grandioso, from Latin grandis (“great, grand”) (English grand). Possibly from grand + -ose, though to be debated. Doublet of grandioso.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Independence does not need to be a grandiose process of disconnection and severing ties."
— 2019 March 6, Nalini Mohabir, “Renaming the Cook Islands would be a vital step towards true independence”, in The Guardian:
"There is a station here, of course, opened as Didcot in June 1844 and renamed as the more grandiose-sounding Didcot Parkway in July 1985."
— 2021 December 29, Stephen Roberts, “Stories and facts behind railway plaques: Didcot (1932)”, in RAIL, number 947, page 60:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
His ____ plan to build a castle in the desert was expensive.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The billionaire's ____ plans for a private space station were criticized by some as being overly ambitious.