as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude a bumptious young man whose family wealth gave him a sense of entitlement

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bumptious Despite lines that are initially chatty and chirpy, Corden shows how bumptious his character really is. David Benedict, Variety, 26 June 2024 Although not always directly correlated with being bumptious and arrogant, performing at a higher standard than others, and having something to show for it, will always garner attention. Clare French, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2024 Which is not to imply that the six-year-old, with quite a bumptious career behind him, is of Secretariat's muster. Guy Martin, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024 The story is a familiar one — a young immigrant fetches up in New York to seek his fortune, only to be buffeted by a bumptious city and cut to the quick by its competitive edge — but Torres reshapes it into something simultaneously more fantastical and far more real. Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 See All Example Sentences for bumptious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumptious
arrogant
Adjective
  • Richard was known for being outspoken, if not arrogant, consistently rubbing his Tagi tribe the wrong way and offending some of them with his blatant display of nudity on the island.
    Nick Caruso, TVLine, 27 May 2025
  • Multiple people described him to me as unpopular and arrogant.
    Amanda Chicago Lewis, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bumptious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumptious. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

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