adj

grandiose

gran-dee-OHS

adj

Extremely ambitious or impressive in scale.

"He unveiled a grandiose plan to redevelop the entire waterfront."

Pompous or overblown, more showy than genuinely impressive.

"Critics mocked the grandiose title sequence as pretentious."

How to Use Grandiose

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishBig and impressive-sounding, often with a hint that it is overdone or unrealistic.

Common mistake

Unlike plain "grand," grandiose usually carries a negative or skeptical tone, suggesting the scale is exaggerated or pretentious.

Common pairings

grandiose plan grandiose scheme grandiose vision

more grandiose comparative, most grandiose superlative

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Can you complete this real example?

He unveiled a _____ plan to redevelop the entire waterfront.

From French grandiose, from Italian grandioso, ultimately from Latin grandis, "great."

rose nose lose dose pose Jose hose Bose close moose whose goose