Definition

Adjective: - Pompously ultraconservative and nationalistic: Describes a person, attitude, or set of views that are rigidly, stubbornly, and often arrogantly conservative, reactionary, and excessively patriotic or nationalistic. The term implies a closed-minded resistance to change and social progress, often with an air of self-importance.

Usage and Examples

• Adjective:
  • His blimpish views on immigration were met with widespread criticism.
  • The editorial was dismissed as a piece of blimpish nostalgia for a bygone imperial era.
  • She accused the old general of being a blimpish relic, out of touch with modern society.

Advanced Usage and Nuance

• The term blimpish is strongly derogatory and carries a connotation of being not just conservative, but obstinate, pompous, and somewhat ridiculous. It often suggests a person who is a caricature of outdated attitudes.
• It is frequently used in political or social commentary to criticize individuals or institutions perceived as reactionary.
• Etymology Note: The word derives from "Colonel Blimp," a cartoon character created by David Low in the 1930s, who represented a pompous, jingoistic, and reactionary British army officer.

Variants and Related Words

• Blimp (noun, informal): Can refer to a person with blimpish attitudes.
  • He's an old blimp who still believes in the empire.
• Blimpism (noun, rare): The characteristic of being blimpish; adherence to blimpish attitudes.
  • His speech was a classic example of blimpism.

Synonyms

• Reactionary: Opposing political or social progress or reform.
• Jingoistic: Extremely patriotic, especially in an aggressive, chauvinistic way.
• Hidebound: Unwilling or unable to change because of tradition or convention.
• Obstinate: Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or chosen course of action.
• Pompous: Affectedly grand, solemn, or self-important.

Antonyms

• Progressive: Favoring or implementing social reform or new, liberal ideas.
• Open-minded: Willing to consider new ideas; unprejudiced.
• Cosmopolitan: Familiar with and at ease in many different countries and cultures.

Idiomatic Usage

• While not a common component of idioms, the adjective is used descriptively in phrases like:
  • Blimpish attitude: A stubbornly conservative and nationalistic outlook.
  • Blimpish rhetoric: Speech or writing characterized by pompous, ultraconservative nationalism.

Adjective

1. pompously ultraconservative and nationalistic