pretense

1 the quality or state of appearing or trying to appear more important or more valuable than is the case <she seemed to be a very down-to-earth woman who was completely free of pretense> Synonyms affectation, affectedness, grandiosity, inflation, pretension, pretentiousness Related Words arrogance, bumptiousness, complacency, conceit, egotism, hauteur, imperiousness, pompousness, presumptuousness, pride, self-aggrandizement, self-assertion, self-assumption, self-conceit, self-consequence, self-glorification, self-importance, self-satisfaction, smugness, vaingloriousness, vainglory, vainness, vanity; disdain, haughtiness, lordliness, snobbery, snobbishness, superciliousness, superiority; confidence, presumption, self-assurance, self-confidence, sureness; boastfulness, braggadocio; aggressiveness, assertiveness, audaciousness, boldness, brassiness, cheekiness, cockiness, forwardness, impudence, insolence, rudeness; grandiloquence; flamboyance, flashiness, garishness, gaudiness, glitz, mummery, ostentation, ostentatiousness, show, showiness Near Antonyms demureness, down-to-earthness, humbleness, humility, lowliness, meekness, modesty; bashfulness, diffidence, shyness, timidity; naturalness, sincerity

2 a display of emotion or behavior that is insincere or intended to deceive <her display of bravado was just a pretense> Synonyms act, airs, charade, disguise, facade (also façade), front, guise, playacting, pose, masquerade (or pretence), put-on, semblance, showRelated Words impersonation, performance, portrayal; image, persona; appearance, color, gloss; camouflage, cloak; affectation, deceit, deception, dissembling, dissimulation, double-dealing, duplicity, fakery, fraud, guile; betrayal, double cross, faithlessness, falseness, falsity, infidelity, perfidy, treachery, treason, unfaithfulness; excuse, pretextNear Antonyms bluntness, candidness, candor, directness, forthrightness, frankness, openheartedness, outspokenness, plainspokenness, sincerity, straightforwardness; artlessness, genuineness, naïveté (also naivete or naiveté)

3 an entitlement to something <this book on gardening makes no pretense at completeness> Synonyms call, dibs, claim (or pretence), pretension, rightRelated Words birthright, prerogative, title; favor, privilege; refusalNear Antonyms disclaimer, quitclaim, release, waiver

4 an exaggerated sense of one's importance that shows itself in the making of excessive or unjustified claims <the pretense of that woman in thinking that the other hotel guests should be inconvenienced just for her> Synonyms assumption, bumptiousness, consequence, haughtiness, hauteur, high horse, huffiness, imperiousness, loftiness, lordliness, masterfulness, peremptoriness, pomposity, pompousness, presumptuousness, arrogance (or pretence), pretension, pretentiousness, self-consequence, self-importance, superciliousness, superiority, toploftinessRelated Words authoritativeness, bossiness, bowwow, brag, dominance, high-handedness; condescension, disdain, scorn; chest-thumping, inflation, self-assertion, side [chiefly British], snobbery, snobbishness, snobbism, snootiness; attitude, cheek, cheekiness, impertinence, impudence, sauciness; boastfulness, bombast, braggadocio, bravado, strut, swagger, triumphalism, vaingloriousness, vainglory; cockiness, complacence, conceit, egoism, egotism, pride, pridefulness, self-assumption, self-centeredness, self-complacency, self-conceit, self-content, self-contentment, self-opinion, self-partiality, self-satisfaction, smugness, swelled head, vanity; superiority complexNear Antonyms bashfulness, demureness, retiringness, shyness; diffidence, self-distrust, self-doubt, timidity, timidness; lowliness, meekness, mousiness, passiveness, passivity, submissiveness; quietness, reserve, reservednessAntonyms humility, modesty, unassumingness, unpretentiousness