fanfaron means A boaster; a braggart. It carries an Arena rating of 1588, earned across 34 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, fanfaron ranks #2,135 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #2,160 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words, #2,553 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words, #5,052 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words.
Why “fanfaron” is a great word
FANFARON — [Noun] A person who boasts or brags in a loud, arrogant, and empty manner. From Middle French fanfaron, likely from Spanish fanfarrón, probably of imitative origin. Unlike a braggart, who makes simple boasts, or a blowhard, defined by tedious verbosity, the fanfaron is defined by a theatrical, swaggering hollowness. He is the tinny clang of a cheap sword, the peacock spreading feathers of borrowed achievement, the polished story that dissolves upon the first question—a testament to the profound vacancy that lies beneath the most clamorous noise.
Etymology
From Middle French fanfaron.
noun
- A boaster; a braggart.e.g.“Peregrine glowing with resentment, called him a Fanfaron, and withdrew, in expectation of being followed into the street.” — 1751, [Tobias] Smollett, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), London: Harrison and Co., […], →OCLC:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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