1
as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude
the pompous waiter served us in the manner of a person doing some poor soul a great favor
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in smug
having too high an opinion of oneself
a pompous piano teacher who thought that the music world was lucky to have her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pretentious
self-consciously trying to present an appearance of grandeur or importance
a pompous gambling casino decorated to look like a palace in ancient Rome
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pompous
The magic of blasting down a wall of water balanced on a few pounds of Styrofoam doesn’t typically translate to the rectangular page; too many efforts feel pompous, ponderous or preening.
—
Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2025
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
The Right Way The fear of sounding pompous is what holds some business leaders back from touting their company’s accomplishments.
—John Hall, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pompous
Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2025
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
The Right Way The fear of sounding pompous is what holds some business leaders back from touting their company’s accomplishments.
—John Hall, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pompous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pompous
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
Adjective
-
To his critics, Jost’s smug humor felt noticeably anachronistic at a time when the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements were calling for a greater awareness of society’s deep inequalities, and for ostensibly liberal institutions to do better.—
Michael Tedder,
The Atlantic,
17 May 2025
-
The series has been characterized by smug antics in defeat.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
Wine doesn’t have to be pretentious or complicated.—
Liz Thach,
Forbes.com,
7 May 2025
-
Trust the French to come up with the most pretentious word in the dictionary.—
Dwight Garner,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
They were thanked for coming by loyal Canadians, clearly proud of their head of state.—
Simon Perry,
People.com,
27 May 2025
-
At Ferrara, which has a long, proud history of making candy in Chicago, the business outlook is still positive, according to Greg Guidotti, chief marketing officer.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2025
Adjective
-
In a clear sign of his dwindling utility, his next move at DOGE, far less grandiose than his initial one, will be to modernize the federal government’s computers.—
S.E. Cupp,
New York Daily News,
28 May 2025
-
An array of notables—Michelle Monaghan, Leslie Bibb, Laura Harrier, Andie MacDowell, Nicky Hilton Rothschild, Kathy Hilton, Claire Danes, and more—artfully intermingled in the museum's grandiose halls.—
Gaby Keiderling,
Vogue,
21 May 2025
Adjective
-
Sid Justice, though competent in other matches, is given few opportunities to prove himself as a rising star against the notoriously egotistical Hogan.—
Daniel Dockery,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2025
-
And for any fan of the show — and Wilson’s over-the-top, egotistical Dwight — the lyrics might not be a total surprise.—
Victoria Edel,
People.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The single-story, low-profile home houses three bedrooms—nothing oversized or ostentatious.—
Natalie Hoberman,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
-
The Saudis envisage The Line — an ambitious, or ostentatious, trail of infrastructure spanning 170km — being front and centre when the country hosts the FIFA World Cup in 2034.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
Adjective
-
While the issue was addressed before in vain, Macron hinted that it could be considered this time around.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
23 May 2025
-
Her very intimate use of the camera added by a relentless patience gives the film a meditational feeling that ultimately works beyond mere and vain life philosophy.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
9 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pompous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pompous. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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