blowhard: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1-C2 / Low-frequencyInformal, pejorative, often humorous or scornful.
Quick answer
What does “blowhard” mean?
A person who boasts loudly and excessively about their abilities, achievements, or opinions, often without substance.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person who boasts loudly and excessively about their abilities, achievements, or opinions, often without substance.
Specifically denotes someone whose talk is pompous, overbearing, and tiresome, characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance. The term implies that their claims are insubstantial 'hot air' or 'wind'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is understood and used in both varieties, but corpus evidence suggests slightly higher frequency in American English.
Connotations
Equally pejorative in both. In the UK, it might be perceived as a slightly Americanism.
Frequency
Common enough to be widely recognized, but not an everyday word. More likely found in commentary, criticism, or narrative descriptions.
Grammar
How to Use “blowhard” in a Sentence
He is a blowhard.Don't listen to that blowhard.She called him a blowhard.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “blowhard” in a Sentence
noun
British English
- The pub's resident blowhard was holding forth on Brexit again.
- He's a frightful blowhard when he's had a few pints.
American English
- The cable news blowhard yelled his opinions for an hour.
- Don't be such a blowhard—just show us what you can do.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used to describe a colleague or manager who makes grand, unsubstantiated claims about projects or results. 'The new VP turned out to be a blowhard; the quarterly numbers were a disaster.'
Academic
Rare in formal writing. Might appear in literary criticism or political science commentary on rhetorical style. 'The senator's memoirs reveal the blowhard beneath the statesman's veneer.'
Everyday
Used to complain about a neighbour, relative, or acquaintance who dominates conversations with boastful stories. 'I avoid Dave at parties—he's such a blowhard about his golf handicap.'
Technical
Not applicable.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “blowhard”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “blowhard”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “blowhard”
- Using it as an adjective ('He's very blowhard'). It is a noun. *'He is blowhard' is incorrect. Correct: 'He is a blowhard.'
- Confusing it with 'blowhard' as a description of strong wind. That is a separate, archaic noun compound ('a blow-hard wind').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is pejorative and insulting, but not a swear word. It's on the level of 'jerk' or 'idiot'—rude and dismissive, but not vulgar.
Yes, though historically more common for men. Terms like 'blowhard' or 'windbag' are not gender-specific in modern usage.
A 'braggart' boasts. A 'blowhard' boasts in a loud, overbearing, pompous, and tiresome way. All blowhards are braggarts, but not all braggarts are necessarily blowhards (they might boast quietly or cleverly).
No, it is only a noun. You cannot 'blowhard'. You can 'act like a blowhard' or 'be a blowhard'.
A person who boasts loudly and excessively about their abilities, achievements, or opinions, often without substance.
Blowhard is usually informal, pejorative, often humorous or scornful. in register.
Blowhard: in British English it is pronounced /ˈbləʊ.hɑːd/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈbloʊ.hɑːrd/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “All hat and no cattle (US, similar concept)”
- “Full of hot air”
- “His bark is worse than his bite.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a person blowing a HARD, loud note on a trumpet to announce their own arrival—annoying, unnecessary, and all about them.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE MIND IS A CONTAINER / COMMUNICATION IS AIR. Empty or boastful talk is conceptualized as worthless air (hot air, wind) expelled forcefully (blown hard).
Practice
Quiz
Which situation best describes a 'blowhard'?