bloviate
Drone on grandly
Bloviate means to speak or write at length in a pompous, self-important way, typically with more wind than substance.
The word carries contempt for speakers who love the sound of their own voice: He bloviated for an hour without saying anything useful.
Common in political commentary, where bloviating politicians are a reliable target.
Veering off topic
- tangentLine touching curve once
- meanderingFollowing a winding course
- waffleGridded breakfast cake
- maunderSpeak in unfocused circles
prattle · blather · babble · drivel · palaver · prate · discursive · digressive
Formal eloquent discourse
- filibusterDelaying tactic through speech
- declamationForceful, theatrical speaking
- harangueAggressive lengthy scolding
- diatribeBitter, prolonged verbal attack
tirade · monologue · sermon · lecture · oration · speechify · grandiloquent · magniloquent
Excessively wordy, tediously so
- wordyUsing more language than necessary
- prolixExcessively wordy in speech
- loquaciousInclined to talk much
- garrulousTediously long-winded
verbose · circumlocution · periphrastic · pleonastic · redundant · tautological · logorrhea · voluble
Excessively inflated language
- pretentiousFalsely grand or important
- self-importantExaggerating one's own significance
- grandiosePretentiously impressive in scale
- pontificateSpeak in dogmatic manner
highfalutin · puffed-up · inflated · overbearing · haughty · arrogant · supercilious · magisterial
digression
Veering off topic
- tangentLine touching curve once
- meanderingFollowing a winding course
- waffleGridded breakfast cake
maunder · prattle · blather · babble · drivel · palaver · prate · discursive · digressive · circumlocutory
oratory
Formal eloquent discourse
- filibusterDelaying tactic through speech
- declamationForceful, theatrical speaking
- harangueAggressive lengthy scolding
diatribe · tirade · monologue · sermon · lecture · oration · speechify · grandiloquent · magniloquent · florid
long-winded
Excessively wordy, tediously so
- wordyUsing more language than necessary
- prolixExcessively wordy in speech
- loquaciousInclined to talk much
garrulous · verbose · circumlocution · periphrastic · pleonastic · redundant · tautological · logorrhea · voluble · diffuse
bombastic
Excessively inflated language
- pretentiousFalsely grand or important
- self-importantExaggerating one's own significance
- grandiosePretentiously impressive in scale
pontificate · highfalutin · puffed-up · inflated · overbearing · haughty · arrogant · supercilious · magisterial · imperious
bluster
Loud, empty boasting
- balderdashSenseless talk or writing
- hogwashFoolish or untrue talk
- poppycockFoolish or meaningless talk
twaddle · claptrap · guff · bunkum · flimflam · windbaggery · spiel · gab · bull · humbug
- fancy wordsgrandiloquent, magniloquent, sesquipedalian, pulchritudinous, tintinnabulation
bloviatesummarize
State main points briefly
condense · abbreviate · cut to the chase · get to the point · compress
bloviateunderstate
Express with restraint
speak plainly · listen · hold one's tongue · downplay · defer