pretentious

adjective

pre·ten·tious | \ pri-ˈten(t)-shəs

Definition of pretentious

1 : characterized by pretension: such as

a : 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

b : expressive of affected, unwarranted, or exaggerated importance, worth, or stature pretentious language pretentious houses

2 : 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.

Other Words from pretentious Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about pretentious

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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 Gopaleen (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

Recent Examples on the Web

In the public imagination, America is the brash young houseguest: violent, forthright with opinion, unimpressed by pretentious tradition, and permanently unable to shake off an unfortunate background in trade. — Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, "My American Dream," 4 July 2019 Naperville sometimes gets a bad rap with pretentious homeowners. — Steve Metsch, Naperville Sun, "Down to Business: 'Dutchman' followed in father's footsteps, foresaking a career in psychology for heating and cooling biz," 14 June 2019 If not for that humor, the wine bar might feel pretentious, but this is a place that blasts cheesy old-school tunes — Biz Markie! — and specializes in knowingly terrible puns. — Devra First, BostonGlobe.com, "A case of the Mondays, a tin of smoked eel," 23 Apr. 2018 Enter Jake Gyllenhaal’s Morf Vandewalt (even his name is pretentious), the pompous, obnoxious art critic who has the power to manipulate the art world conversation for his own gain, making and breaking the careers of artists and dealers with glee. — Candice Frederick, Harper's BAZAAR, "Netflix's Velvet Buzzsaw Shouldn't Work—But It (Mostly) Does," 3 Feb. 2019 Nothing is easier, at present, than to mock this ambition, and much of the politicized art of the late ’60s must have seemed naïve, pretentious or overstated even at the time. — A.o. Scott, New York Times, "Review: If You Love Godard, You’ll Hate-Watch ‘Godard Mon Amour’," 18 Apr. 2018 All highly pretentious but highly satisfying listens. — WSJ, "Why Venmo is the First App Frankie Shaw Checks in the Morning," 12 Dec. 2018 Even the most seasoned opera-goers have likely never seen this 19th century Italian comedy about a pretentious, overbearing Neapolitan father who places ads in newspapers across Europe in a misguided attempt to marry off his daughter. — Catherine Womack, latimes.com, "Irreverent Pacific Opera Project takes on 'La Gazetta'," 26 June 2018 Strewn with oriental rugs, clubby leather sofas, and lots of contemporary art (El Dorado worked with Simeone Deary on the decor), the Crossroads feels cool and cozy but never pretentious; perfectly suited, in short, to contemporary Kansas City. — Marley Marius, Vogue, "A Guide to Kansas City, Missouri: Its History, Its Culture, and Why It’s Worth a Closer Look," 23 Nov. 2018

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

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Last Updated

15 Jul 2019

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The first known use of pretentious was in 1832

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More Definitions for pretentious

pretentious

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of pretentious

disapproving : having or showing the unpleasant quality of people who want to be regarded as more impressive, successful, or important than they really are

See the full definition for pretentious in the English Language Learners Dictionary

pretentious

adjective

pre·ten·tious | \ pri-ˈten-shəs