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 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 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 See All Example Sentences for bumptious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumptious
arrogant
Adjective
  • Depicting Americans as arrogant, loud, boorish and demeaning of other cultures, the term has stuck and is still mentioned 60-plus years later.
    Jenny Peters, Oc Register, 4 Aug. 2025
  • The most radical overhaul of the tax code in our state’s history would require voter approval in November 2026, and that starts by portraying local governments as cartoonishly arrogant, bloated and unaccountable.
    Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bumptious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumptious. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.

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