1
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
2
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
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ostentation
excessive or unnecessary display
the sheer pretentiousness of the debutante's wedding
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pretentious
James Mercadante, EW.com, 14 Feb. 2025
Accusing it of being pretentious, an ego trip, and lacking depth.
—Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 10 Mar. 2025
His style and references can seem a little pretentious now.
—Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025
In the cool interiors of this chic Parisian address though, savouring an aged Armagnac after lunch or dinner is not a pretentious throwback, but a gastronomic pleasure.
—Paul Caputo, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretentious
Adjective
As one of the few people who Cher (Alicia Silverstone) can really be herself around — and the only one who can call her out on her own cluelessness — even Josh’s (Paul Rudd) pretentious intellectual posturing is charming.
—James Mercadante, EW.com, 14 Feb. 2025
Accusing it of being pretentious, an ego trip, and lacking depth.
—Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 10 Mar. 2025
His style and references can seem a little pretentious now.
—Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025
In the cool interiors of this chic Parisian address though, savouring an aged Armagnac after lunch or dinner is not a pretentious throwback, but a gastronomic pleasure.
—Paul Caputo, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretentious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretentious
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
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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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
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The pink-and-brown mansion, often considered a monument to Roaring 20s ostentation, stretches from Lake Worth to the Atlantic Ocean and contains 58 bedrooms, 33 bathrooms, three bomb shelters, a theater, a ballroom and a nine-hole golf course.—
Miami Herasld Archives,
Miami Herald,
7 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Ivy-as-Marilyn is an inconsiderate, amphetamine guzzling faux-intellectual whose devotion to the acting craft is presented as a vainglorious affectation.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
-
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
Adjective
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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
Noun
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With the Soviet Union’s collapse, the United States enjoyed a margin of superiority that would have been unimaginable to earlier great powers.—
A. Wess Mitchell,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
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Will this Lucid’s obvious superiority from a rational perspective be able to offset the minivan-esque styling?—
Michael Teo Van Runkle,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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No other professional sport treats its opening day with as much pomp and ceremony as baseball, in which flashbacks of openers from the past are always most welcome.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2025
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But behind the Cold War pomp and propaganda, Camp Century formed a testing ground for a clandestine mission known as Project Iceworm.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN,
15 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Their pretensions are witheringly lampooned in this comic thriller about Ronnie, a Pakistani American who tags along to the desert enclave with her friend turned life coach, Marley.—
Calum Marsh,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
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By contrast, Vito—Genovese, that is, not Corleone—pushes drugs aggressively, resorts to violence early and often, and scoffs at any pretensions of legitimacy, especially given the legalized thuggery of the politicians with whom Frank has curried favor.—
Justin Chang,
The New Yorker,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pretentious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretentious. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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