highfalutin

adjective

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high·fa·lu·tin | \ ˌhī-fə-ˈlü-tᵊn

variants: or less commonly hifalutin

Definition of highfalutin

1 : pretentious, fancy highfalutin people

2 : expressed in or marked by the use of language that is elaborated or heightened by artificial or empty means : pompous giving a highfalutin speech

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Examples of highfalutin in a Sentence

a highfalutin way of talking his highfalutin paean to the working class failed to win over a crowd that wanted to hear down-to-earth proposals for economic relief

Recent Examples on the Web In less highfalutin language, increasing taxes on an activity leads to less of it; cutting taxes on an activity leads to more of it. — Star Tribune, "Taxing the rich is trickier than it seems," 30 Jan. 2021 But after some highfalutin remarks, Crowe makes a hard turn to a profane, confrontational rant pitching his movie about a homicidal maniac. — Ryan Faughnder, chicagotribune.com, "Movie theaters tout COVID-19 safety. Will moviegoers buy it?," 22 Aug. 2020 American politicians, the pusillanimous and the mountebanks and even their opposites, used to be as highfalutin as Foghorn Leghorn with their gibes, which made politics fun for fans of Shakespeare, the Bible or obscure history. — oregonlive, "Donald Trump is famous for his insults, but his invective doesn’t compare to Theodore Roosevelt’s, Oregon author argues," 31 Mar. 2020 What began as semi-legal — if highfalutin — graffiti has taken off in recent years, with local and even international artists being commissioned to turn once-seedy downtown walls into canvases for all manner of murals. — Paul Abercrombie, Washington Post, "St. Petersburg, Fla.," 12 Feb. 2020 And even the most highfalutin fly rodder won’t argue against a hot fried bluegill with a side of onions and potatoes. — T. Edward Nickens, Field & Stream, "The Best Flies for Catching Panfish," 12 Mar. 2020 The highfalutin words, plastered on the side of the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum, might ring hollow to those who know him largely as the most prominent of eight White Sox players who allegedly conspired with gamblers to lose a World Series. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: MLB needs to put Shoeless Joe back in the game," 8 Oct. 2019 The highfalutin words, plastered on the side of the Shoeless Joe Jackson Museum, might ring hollow to those who know him largely as the most prominent of eight White Sox players who allegedly conspired with gamblers to lose a World Series. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: MLB needs to put Shoeless Joe back in the game," 8 Oct. 2019 Until the massive mess-up by the Democrats on Caucus Night, the caucuses had performed as advertised: The highfalutin forced to meet and greet the hoi polloi. — Charlie Szold, National Review, "Keep Politics Fun; Save the Iowa Caucuses," 11 Feb. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'highfalutin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.