2
: having or exhibiting self-importance : arrogant
a pompous politician
3
: relating to or suggestive of pomp or splendor : magnificent
pompously
adverb
pompousness
noun
Synonyms
- arrogant
- assumptive
- bumptious
- cavalier
- chesty
- haughty
- high-and-mighty
- high-handed
- high-hat
- highfalutin
- hifalutin
- huffish
- huffy
- imperious
- important
- lofty
- lordly
- masterful
- overweening
- peremptory
- presuming
- presumptuous
- pretentious
- self-asserting
- self-assertive
- sniffy
- stiff-necked
- supercilious
- superior
- toplofty
- toploftical
- uppish
- uppity
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
The pompous prince enters the fray with a sauced-to-death haute-cuisine-athon whose menu runs to some 60 comically extravagant dishes.
—Anya Von Bremzen, WSJ, 24 Nov. 2023
Authority figures will be pompous and petty tyrants.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2023
To my 21st century ears, the ridiculously loud major chord ending that emerges from the plodding minor key march of the last movement reeks of pompous mediocrity, no matter the intention.
—Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Oct. 2023
One boy, a pompous rich kid planning to spend his holidays in St. Kitts, manages to score a B+.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 31 Aug. 2023
The eldest, Jesse, is a pompous hothead whose default response to any insult is light violence and who, despite his persona as a family man, has enjoyed the sort of hard-partying lifestyle that would make early-1970s Led Zeppelin blush.
—Elizabeth Nelson, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2023
Aidan is written as a sympathetic character — unlike Big, who comes off much more pompous — but still manipulates Carrie from his holier-than-thou perch.
—Sonia Rao, Washington Post, 10 Aug. 2023
That’s why the big live oak at the cemetery is such a refuge, with nothing but a few pompous stones to block the breeze.
—Bill Finch, al, 20 July 2023
Now with Eli getting older, Judy is stuck competing for dominance with her brothers: firstborn Jesse, played by Danny McBride in the traditional McBride mold of pompous, all-American dolts; and youngest brother Kelvin (Adam Devine), a youth minister who dresses like a wannabe Bieber.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Washington Post, 16 June 2023
See More
Anya Von Bremzen, WSJ, 24 Nov. 2023
Authority figures will be pompous and petty tyrants.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2023
To my 21st century ears, the ridiculously loud major chord ending that emerges from the plodding minor key march of the last movement reeks of pompous mediocrity, no matter the intention.
—Christian Hertzog, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Oct. 2023
One boy, a pompous rich kid planning to spend his holidays in St. Kitts, manages to score a B+.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 31 Aug. 2023
The eldest, Jesse, is a pompous hothead whose default response to any insult is light violence and who, despite his persona as a family man, has enjoyed the sort of hard-partying lifestyle that would make early-1970s Led Zeppelin blush.
—Elizabeth Nelson, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2023
Aidan is written as a sympathetic character — unlike Big, who comes off much more pompous — but still manipulates Carrie from his holier-than-thou perch.
—Sonia Rao, Washington Post, 10 Aug. 2023
That’s why the big live oak at the cemetery is such a refuge, with nothing but a few pompous stones to block the breeze.
—Bill Finch, al, 20 July 2023
Now with Eli getting older, Judy is stuck competing for dominance with her brothers: firstborn Jesse, played by Danny McBride in the traditional McBride mold of pompous, all-American dolts; and youngest brother Kelvin (Adam Devine), a youth minister who dresses like a wannabe Bieber.
—Jessica M. Goldstein, Washington Post, 16 June 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pompous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near pompous
Cite this Entry
“Pompous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pompous. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids 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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