1
as in arrogance
an exaggerated sense of one's importance that shows itself in the making of excessive or unjustified claims
everyone took her ingrained pretentiousness into account when considering her statements
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ostentation
excessive or unnecessary display
the sheer pretentiousness of the debutante's wedding
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in affectation
the quality or state of appearing or trying to appear more important or more valuable than is the case
the utter pretentiousness of the movie is matched only by the incomprehensibility of its story
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretentiousness
Noun
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Most are due to unnecessary escalation, creating disengagement, authoritative behaviors, arrogance and ego.—
Joao Mendes-Roter,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025 -
Musk’s casual Friday attire just shows his arrogance and disrespect for American government.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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As with Yamamoto-san’s suit, my comfort and pleasure would be the biggest factors here; there would be no room for ostentation.—
Gary Shteyngart,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2025
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The mansion, often considered a monument to Roaring ‘20s ostentation, stretches from the Intracoastal to the Atlantic Ocean.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
7 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The interaction between Briony and Jamie starts off amiably, with Jamie needling Briony for her posh affectations.—
Doreen St. Félix,
The New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2025
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Slumming with her sister in San Francisco after her life with her Madoff-like ex in New York implodes, Jasmine Francis isn't quite willing to let go of the affectations that come with living in high society.—
EW Staff,
EW.com,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The hypocrisies of what might be called humanity’s delusions of superiority suggest the need for deeper questioning.—
Billy J. Stratton,
The Conversation,
7 Apr. 2025
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His superiority was self-evident, like the rays of the sun.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Then, with much pomp and celebration, the sheet is ripped away and the car revealed for the world to see.—
Scotty Reiss,
Forbes,
25 Mar. 2025
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Thomas Jefferson converted the State of the Union speech into a written message, regarding the pomp of the speech as too monarchical (sadly, the speech was revived by Woodrow Wilson for exactly that reason).—
The Editors,
National Review,
17 Feb. 2025
Noun
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While their goal is to defend against perceptions of pretension, Ms. Lasky expressed respect for chefs who opted to describe their craft more elaborately on menus.—
Sam Corbin,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2025
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The restaurant's elegant interior, with its high ceilings and classic décor, creates an atmosphere of refined sophistication without pretension—the ideal setting to contemplate the driving adventures that await.—
Shelby Knick,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
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After all, a central function of their work is to produce scenery, as set designers for rap’s theatre of flamboyance.—
Sheldon Pearce,
The New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2025
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Yet even as the twists kept coming, the thriller outline was wrapped in the deadpan camp of desperate-housewives flamboyance.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The Trump Administration has significantly weakened America's national security infrastructure under the false pretense of government efficiency, by reducing staffing at the Departments of Defense and State, FBI, CIA, USAID, and others despite increasing global threats.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
TIME,
24 Mar. 2025
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The Trump administration’s harrowing detention of Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil — and the broader repression of student activism on campuses across the country — is being sold to the public under the false pretense of ensuring Jewish safety.—
Adam Jaffe,
New York Daily News,
18 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Pretentiousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretentiousness. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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