Meaning
big word
- a long, complex, or bombastic word
- an exaggeration, overly strong word, or pretentious term
In a sentence
Genio è una parolona, diciamo piuttosto che è una persona in gamba.
"Genius" is a big word; let's say rather that he is a smart person.
Ha usato una parolona difficile che nessuno dei presenti conosceva.
He used a difficult big word that none of those present knew.
Non c'è bisogno di ricorrere a una parolona quando basta un termine semplice.
There is no need to resort to a big word when a simple term is enough.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| parolona | feminine · singular |
| parolone | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Informal: often used ironically in the singular to call out an exaggeration (e.g. 'è una parolona').
- Augmentative of 'parola' formed with the suffix '-ona'. The masculine counterpart 'parolone' (pl. 'paroloni') is more commonly used in the plural.