variants
also la-de-da
or lah-de-dah
or lah-dee-dah
or lah-di-dah
as in pretentious
self-consciously trying to present an appearance of grandeur or importance
there's no need to be la-di-da with your friends—we all know that classy accent is a put-on
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for la-di-da
Adjective
-
Buckle up for this globe-trotting, CGI-heavy adventure that combines apocalyptic spectacle and family drama in the least pretentious way possible.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025 -
Jimbo, the most ridiculously pretentious egomaniac in rock-star history, seemed so excessive that no actor could play him, but Val Kilmer was up to the task.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Nelis renders the professor a pompous and pedantic twit but not a heartless one.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2025
-
Our rituals and our cassocks are pompous.—
Paul Elie,
The New Yorker,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Smoke favors a dapper gray three-piece suit and flat cap, while Stack, gold tooth caps glittering in his mouth, is more ostentatious in his burgundy fedora with matching tie and pocket square.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2025
-
By taking up a quarter of the space in her car with her ostentatious hat.—
Kinsey Jasnoch,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
For generations, students and researchers from around the world have flocked to Boston, drawn not just to a college or university but to a region where high-minded intellectual life was part of its brand.—
Jenna Russell,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2025
-
The business would draw inspiration from high-minded local establishments like The Monarch Bar and Ocean Prime.—
David Hudnall,
Kansas City Star,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Nithyananda was also grandiose, linking himself to long religious and royal lineages.—
Mujib Mashal,
New York Times,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Incorporate grandiose accents like opulent chandeliers, old-world upholstery, and ornate picture frames.—
Isabella Milano,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The dialogue is overly ornate, with long monologues filled with highfalutin references, and there’s no distinct characterization: A Bronx pawnbroker talks the same as a Manhattan equities trader.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Its story clearly spoke to the widest swath of voters, even if many pundits predicted that the tonier, more highfalutin adult drama Conclave would emerge as a consensus winner.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
But my in-laws seemed not to catch this smug look of his, and when my mother-in-law excused herself to go to the bathroom, my father-in-law took the opportunity to go over to his desk and take out one of his special blue envelopes.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
2 Apr. 2025
-
But those smug computers obviously haven’t seen a shirtless Illini coach Brad Underwood and his Super Soaker squirt gun.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Ava Daniels is a young comedy writer who is unable to find work due to an insensitive tweet and her reputation for being self-centered and arrogant.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
And the villains, of course, exuding every nastily relatable emotion; the stepmothers and sorceresses are vain, arrogant, dismissive, lonely, rude, and outrageous.—
Darren Franich,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“La-di-da.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/la-di-da. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share