Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 10, 2022 is: bravado \bruh-VAH-doh\ noun

Bravado refers to confident or brave talk or behavior that is intended to impress other people.

// Her stories of her exploits during the “olden days” are always told with enough bravado to invite some suspicion that they’re embellished a bit.

// The crew of [free soloists](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/free%20solo#h2) scaled the mountain with admirable bravado.

[See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bravado)

Examples:

"Ferrari is the supercar of choice for those who want to flaunt their wealth with a bit of growling and occasionally snarling V-12 bravado." — Neil Winton, Forbes, 17 June 2022

Did you know?

Displays of bravado may be show-offish, daring, reckless, and inconsistent with good sense—take, for example, the spectacular feats of stuntpeople—but when successful they are still likely to be met with shouts of "[bravo](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bravo#h2)!" Celebrities, political leaders, corporate giants, and schoolyard bullies, however, may show a different flavor of bravado: one that suggests an overbearing boldness that comes from arrogance or a position of power. The word bravado originally comes from the Old Italian adjective bravo, meaning "wild" or "courageous," which English has also to thank for the more ubiquitous [brave](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brave).