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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Example Sentences

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 It’s all spanked along by one of those golly-gee bumptious holiday musical scores. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 27 Nov. 2024 The ländler dance in the second was robust and bumptious, with an undercurrent of darkness, and there was just the right amount of winking in the trio; the whole thing was a country fair picaresque. Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 24 Nov. 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 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 See All Example Sentences for bumptious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumptious
arrogant
Adjective
  • These early years emphasized goofiness, offensiveness, and mocking arrogant celebrities who pushed their platforms at award shows.
    Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 30 Aug. 2025
  • The announcement was made during a backstage segment involving NXT General Manager Ava and the arrogant superstar Lexis King.
    Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bumptious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumptious. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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