2
: having or exhibiting self-importance : arrogant
a pompous politician
3
: relating to or suggestive of pomp or splendor : magnificent
pompously
adverb
pompousness
noun
Examples of pompous in a Sentence
So as the pictures of flooded shanties flicker by on cable news, uptight neatnik Midwestern Lutherans and sensitive northeastern urban sophisticates and pompous media grandees on both coasts express shock at the unexpected squalor of the poverty and bafflement over the slovenly corruption of the civic institutions.
—
Rob Long, National Review, 26 Sept. 2005
President Warren Harding was an orator, but his bloviations were an army of pompous phrases moving across the landscape in search of an idea.
—Harold Evans, New York Times Book Review, 11 Nov. 2001
She never allowed her spirit to become, as, say, Henry Adams did, curdled by long exposure to Washington's tawdry and pompous aspects.
—George F. Will, Newsweek, 24 May 1999
She found it difficult to talk about her achievements without sounding pompous.
the pompous waiter served us in the manner of a person doing some poor soul a great favor
Rob Long, National Review, 26 Sept. 2005
President Warren Harding was an orator, but his bloviations were an army of pompous phrases moving across the landscape in search of an idea.
—Harold Evans, New York Times Book Review, 11 Nov. 2001
She never allowed her spirit to become, as, say, Henry Adams did, curdled by long exposure to Washington's tawdry and pompous aspects.
—George F. Will, Newsweek, 24 May 1999
She found it difficult to talk about her achievements without sounding pompous.
the pompous waiter served us in the manner of a person doing some poor soul a great favor
Recent Examples on the Web
And more than any other animal, cats represented to her its moral antithesis: lazy, pompous, interested only in themselves.
—Literary Hub, 6 June 2025
At 11:30, as the simultaneously pompous and obsequious gate agent announces the passengers above gold status, the bit, already tilting toward insanity, leaves any attempt to portray a real airport behind and dives fully into Alice in Wonderland–level surrealism.
—John Roy, Vulture, 8 May 2025
Signaling a stark departure from tradition that, over the centuries, had ranged from formal to pompous, Pope Francis began teaching us, from day one, what the most genuine leadership looks like.
Humble.
—Eli Amdur, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
The film will follow a pompous food critic (Roth) and the earnest son-of-a-chef (Fernández) who must outcook, outrun, and outwit a ruthless queen-pin (Higareda Howes) in order to save the son’s family restaurant – and themselves.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pompous
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Literary Hub, 6 June 2025
At 11:30, as the simultaneously pompous and obsequious gate agent announces the passengers above gold status, the bit, already tilting toward insanity, leaves any attempt to portray a real airport behind and dives fully into Alice in Wonderland–level surrealism.
—John Roy, Vulture, 8 May 2025
Signaling a stark departure from tradition that, over the centuries, had ranged from formal to pompous, Pope Francis began teaching us, from day one, what the most genuine leadership looks like.
Humble.
—Eli Amdur, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025
The film will follow a pompous food critic (Roth) and the earnest son-of-a-chef (Fernández) who must outcook, outrun, and outwit a ruthless queen-pin (Higareda Howes) in order to save the son’s family restaurant – and themselves.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pompous
Cite this Entry
“Pompous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pompous. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pompous
adjective
pomp·ous
ˈpäm-pəs 
1
: making a show of importance or dignity
a pompous manner
2
: having an overly high opinion of one's importance
a pompous politician
pompously
adverb
pompousness
noun
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