grandiose

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 26, 2025 is: grandiose \gran-dee-OHSS\ adjective Grandiose is usually used disapprovingly to describe something that seems impressive or is intended to be impressive, but that is either not possible or practical. // The long-vacant historic building has finally been purchased, and the developer has announced grandiose plans to make it the center of a new theater district. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grandiose) Examples: “[Henry [VIII]](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Henry-VIII-king-of-England) was a leader known for his grandiose presentation, a love of dramatic rhetoric and self-promotion, and a fondness for blaming others. He carefully curated his image, issuing official portraits and closely managing public appearances. His reign concentrated power in one man and his obsessions.” — Philippa Gregory, LitHub.com, 29 Oct. 2025 Did you know? When it comes to bigness, there’s [grand](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grand) and then there’s grandiose. Both words can be used to describe something impressive in size, scope, or effect, but while grand may lend its noun a bit of dignity (i.e., “we had a grand time”), grandiose often implies a whiff of pretension. The difference between a grand plan for the city park and a grandiose one, for example, might be the difference between a tasteful fountain and a garden full of [topiaries](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/topiary) cut in the shapes of 19th century literary figures. So if you’re choosing between the two, a helpful [mnemonic](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mnemonic) might be that the extra letters in grandiose suggest that one’s ideas, claims, promises, schemes, dreams—you get the idea—are a bit [extra](https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/extra-new-usage-words-were-watching-slang-definition).