Bobadilism

/ˌbɑbəˈdɪlɪzəm/ noun

Definition

Empty boasting or exaggerated bragging; the practice of making false claims about one's accomplishments or abilities.

Etymology

From bobadil + -ism suffix. Derived from the character Bobadill in Ben Jonson's Elizabethan comedy, whose name became a linguistic marker for fraudulent bravado. The -ism suffix converts the character into an abstract concept or system of behavior.

Kelly Says

This word proves that literature leaves permanent fingerprints on language—a character from a 1598 play created a word that people still use today to describe someone who's all talk and no action!

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