French Conversation · Level 98
60 words
French word
grandiose
Pronunciation
IPA/gʁɑ̃djoz/
Meaning
- adjectivemagnificent
Example
La vue du sommet est grandiose.
The view from the summit is magnificent.
More examples
Son projet était trop grandiose pour être réaliste.
His project was too grandiose to be realistic.
Core concept
A mountain-sized display of ambition that can seem magnificent in a landscape but pompous in a plan or person.
Common phrases
un projet grandiose
a grandiose project
une idée grandiose
a grandiose idea
une mise en scène grandiose
grandiose staging
Similar words
magnifique: Beautifully impressive and capable of inspiring admiration.
imposant: Impressive through great size or a commanding presence.
pompeux: Overly formal and inflated, with an affected tone.
exagéré: Stated or presented as greater than the facts or degree justify.
Definition in French
Qui paraît excessivement pompeux ou prétentieux, donnant l'impression qu'on en fait trop plutôt que d'être simplement grand.
Word origin
The French adjective grandiose is an Italian borrowing based on Latin grandis, meaning "great", extended by a suffix that forms adjectives.
Usage tips
- Applied to a person or plan, grandiose often sounds critical, whereas it can be admiring when applied to scenery or a spectacle.