bomphiologia
nounEtymology Coined by Richard Sherry in his 1550 Treatise of Schemes & Tropes as the Greek equivalent of Latin verborum bombus (“booming of words”). From Ancient Greek βόμβος (bómbos, “buzzing, booming”) + perhaps φημί (phēmí, “to speak”) or a play on bombast. The -logia suffix suggests "the speaking of booming words".
1
Rhetoric Exaggeration done in a self-aggrandizing manner, as a braggart; pompous, bombastic speech wherein small or trivial things are described with great, gasping words.
- Related terms
- thaumasmus, verborum bombus, miles gloriosus