pretentious

adjective

pre·ten·tious pri-ˈten(t)-shəs

Synonyms of pretentious next

: characterized by pretension: such as

: making usually unjustified or excessive claims (as of value or standing)

the pretentious fraud who assumes a love of culture that is alien to him—

Richard Watts

: expressive of affected, unwarranted, or exaggerated importance, worth, or stature

pretentious language

pretentious houses

: making demands on one's skill, ability, or means : ambitious

the pretentious daring of the Green Mountain Boys in crossing the lake—

Amer. Guide Series: Vt.

pretentiously adverb

pretentiousness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for pretentious

showy, pretentious, ostentatious mean given to excessive outward display.

showy implies an imposing or striking appearance but usually suggests cheapness or poor taste.

the performers' showy costumes

pretentious implies an appearance of importance not justified by the thing's value or the person's standing.

a pretentious parade of hard words

ostentatious stresses vainglorious display or parade.

the ostentatious summer homes of the rich

Examples of pretentious in a Sentence

It is hard to be pretentious or elevated in Yiddish, and easy to poke fun. —

Cynthia Ozick, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 1988

To anyone ignorant of the underlying physics, it might seem the most arrogant and pretentious necromancy. —

Carl Sagan, Contact, 1985

She seemed at that first meeting a little pretentious and a would-be intellectual—she was studying sociology in the States, a subject which thrives on banalities and abstract jargon … —

Graham Greene, Getting to Know the General, 1984

… and then a P.S. running into 20 pages both sides of the paper and coming back to the top of page one—Hegel, Nietzsche, Emerson, Gide, Beethoven, Suarez—all the boys trotted out in reams of pretentious blather. —

Myles na gCopaleen (Flann O'Brien), The Best of Myles, 1968

The houses in the neighborhood are large and pretentious. that pretentious couple always serves caviar at their parties, even though they themselves dislike it See More

Recent Examples on the Web Where such meals in bigger cities can quickly feel pretentious, this experience was marked by an infectious earnestness. —

David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 19 Aug. 2023 Such narratives risk personalizing a historical situation that has little to do with one man’s pretentious inner demons. —

Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 25 July 2023 Despite its talented cast, who demonstrate a willingness to go for broke in their portrayals, the film comes across like a pretentious version of an ‘80s-era Charles Bronson actioner. —

Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 June 2023 If that sounds a bit serious (perhaps even pretentious), rest assured the No Time To Die Edition is still hilarious fun—and very willing to skid around and screech its tires like it would for a certain operative on his way to a dinner date. —

Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 20 June 2023 In Italy, the combination of earthy materials like terracotta tiles with elegant Venetian glass chandeliers creates an environment that feels upscale without being overly pretentious or fussy. —

Maggie Gillette, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 June 2023 Ben Platt, up for a Tony for his performance in ‘Parade,’ gets by with a little help from his friends May 18, 2023 Gordon and Platt star as pretentious, codependent besties Rebecca-Diane and Amos, alumni and teachers at AdirondACTS. —

Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2023 Christine joined in with her own pretentious stories. —

Amy Dickinson, Anchorage Daily News, 11 July 2023 Some fans might miss the playful and catchy hooks that made Yachty famous, or find his new direction too radical or pretentious. —

Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 28 June 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pretentious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.