PRETENTIOUS Synonyms: 171 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'pretentious' different from other adjectives like it?

The words ostentatious and showy are common synonyms of pretentious . While all three words mean "given to excessive outward display," pretentious implies an appearance of importance not justified by the thing's value or the person's standing. // a pretentious parade of hard words

Q: When might 'ostentatious' be a better fit than 'pretentious'?

In some situations, the words ostentatious and pretentious are roughly equivalent. However, ostentatious stresses vainglorious display or parade. // the ostentatious summer homes of the rich

Q: When is it sensible to use 'showy' instead of 'pretentious'?

The words showy and pretentious can be used in similar contexts, but showy implies an imposing or striking appearance but usually suggests cheapness or poor taste. // the performers' showy costumes

pretentious

adjective

pri-ˈten(t)-shəs

Definition of pretentious next

as in arrogant

self-consciously trying to present an appearance of grandeur or importance that pretentious couple always serves caviar at their parties, even though they themselves dislike it

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in superior

having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude a pretentious author whose books only appeal to equally pretentious readers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word pretentious different from other adjectives like it?

The words ostentatious and showy are common synonyms of pretentious. While all three words mean "given to excessive outward display," pretentious implies an appearance of importance not justified by the thing's value or the person's standing.

a pretentious parade of hard words

When might ostentatious be a better fit than pretentious?

In some situations, the words ostentatious and pretentious are roughly equivalent. However, ostentatious stresses vainglorious display or parade.

the ostentatious summer homes of the rich

When is it sensible to use showy instead of pretentious?

The words showy and pretentious can be used in similar contexts, but showy implies an imposing or striking appearance but usually suggests cheapness or poor taste.

the performers' showy costumes

Examples 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 pretentious From the outside, Ramadan notes, the Nautor Swan community can look pretentious, unapproachable. —

Tonya Russell, Robb Report, 23 Sep. 2024 Its soft-focus visual world—the sequences of sunbursts obliterating any view of downtown and its people, with those people enveloped in grease and heat—was too pretentious. —

Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2024 In other words, quite the opposite of the pretentious Harvard professor Frasier Crane. —

Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 19 Sep. 2024 Then there’s Lydia’s stepmother, Delia (Catherine O’Hara), a pretentious multimedia artist. —

Troy Aidan Sambajon, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pretentious

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretentious

Adjective

Manji will appear as Crispin, an arrogant, pompous employee at a fancy, high-end hardware store who snubs George.

Katie Campione, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2024
My 21-year-old grandson is a dramatic and arrogant know-it-all.

Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2024