as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude a bumptious young man whose family wealth gave him a sense of entitlement

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bumptious Despite lines that are initially chatty and chirpy, Corden shows how bumptious his character really is. David Benedict, Variety, 26 June 2024 Although not always directly correlated with being bumptious and arrogant, performing at a higher standard than others, and having something to show for it, will always garner attention. Clare French, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2024 Which is not to imply that the six-year-old, with quite a bumptious career behind him, is of Secretariat's muster. Guy Martin, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024 The story is a familiar one — a young immigrant fetches up in New York to seek his fortune, only to be buffeted by a bumptious city and cut to the quick by its competitive edge — but Torres reshapes it into something simultaneously more fantastical and far more real. Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 See All Example Sentences for bumptious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumptious
arrogant
Adjective
  • For example, when a man in his sixties talks about the same thing, he’s seen as calm and logical, but when a woman in her twenties talks about it, she’s seen as arrogant or trying to act mature.
    Billboard Japan, Billboard, 15 May 2025
  • By losing some of its arrogant charm, Doom has also lost the means to back it up.
    Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bumptious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumptious. Accessed 22 May. 2025.

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