Other forms: bravados
Bravado is a show of courage put on to impress. Sheer bravado, an act of bravado, empty bravado.
The show is the point: bravado is the appearance of courage rather than the thing, and the word always says the speaker suspects the difference. It is not the same as bravery, and calling an act bravado denies it that name.
1nounbravadoA show of courage put on to impress.
“Despite all his bravado, he was clearly scared of the big dog.”
bravado is a display.
Spanish bravada comes from bravo, brave or wild, of uncertain origin.
Italian
bravata
French
bravade — bragging or boasting
English, today
bravado
Built from
From French bravade (“bragging or boasting”), from Italian bravata, from verb bravare (“brag, boast”), from bravo. Compare bravura.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA