as in pretentious
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Recent Examples of fancy-pants
Partridge was dressed in classic English fancy-pants style, while Rodrigo embraced the vintage preppiness inherent to gingham.
—
Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 2 July 2025
The surprise of Clover Hill is not that this sort of food is on offer in an outer borough—with its concentration of zillion-dollar brownstones and fancy-pants residents, Brooklyn Heights isn’t exactly salt of the earth.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 21 July 2024
With crust that's beautifully singed and wondrously puffed, the not-so-basic numbers are polished with fancy-pants ingredients—from Calabrian chile, fennel and sausage to a cacio e pepe riff made with velvety cream sauce, formaggi al pepe and pecorino.
—Brooke Viggiano, Chron, 12 Mar. 2023
Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 2 July 2025
The surprise of Clover Hill is not that this sort of food is on offer in an outer borough—with its concentration of zillion-dollar brownstones and fancy-pants residents, Brooklyn Heights isn’t exactly salt of the earth.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 21 July 2024
With crust that's beautifully singed and wondrously puffed, the not-so-basic numbers are polished with fancy-pants ingredients—from Calabrian chile, fennel and sausage to a cacio e pepe riff made with velvety cream sauce, formaggi al pepe and pecorino.
—Brooke Viggiano, Chron, 12 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fancy-pants
Adjective
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Their pretentious vocabulary is what’s keeping progressives from connecting with everyday Americans, according to a memo prepared by a left-leaning think tank and aimed at helping Democrats regain their common touch.—
Nolan Finley,
Twin Cities,
11 Sep. 2025
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For him, the only way to tell those stories without being pretentious is to wrap them in insanity.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This grandiose opera house in Guangzhou—an hour northwest of Hong Kong by train—opened in 2010 using the plans for the Cardiff Bay Opera House in Wales, which was never built.—
Mae Hamilton,
AFAR Media,
9 Sep. 2025
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The monumental, symmetrical building had a grandiose entrance mimicking the front of the Greek temple, and the glass and iron dome at the structure’s center was erected using the latest construction techniques.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Guigal’s strategy isn’t built on pompous conservatism, but in long-term thinking.—
Paul Caputo,
Forbes.com,
22 Aug. 2025
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Louis Partridge will take on the scheming Mr Wickham, with Jamie Demetriou playing the pompous Mr Collins, Daryl McCormack as Jane’s beloved Mr Bingley, Siena Kelly as his sister Caroline and Shaw as the fearsome Lady Catherine de Bourg.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Years of delays and an inflated budget have damaged public and political faith in the project, but the past few years have seen progress—with construction happening throughout the state and tracklaying set to begin later this year.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
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With pickup trucks exceeding $100K in some instances and 7-passenger Luxury SUVs having a base price even higher, the need for a basic-entry-level commuter is today’s craze to offset the overpriced and inflated automobile market.—
Marc D. Grasso,
Boston Herald,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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With heartier, earthen purple corn?—
The Bon Appétit Staff,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 Sep. 2025
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There are deep blue- and purple-hued flowers, trees with gentle, weeping branches, shrubs soft to the touch.—
Bebe Hodges,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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One of the new additions to the lobby is a replica of a 1925 chandelier, recreated by artisans from photos that were discovered of the original ornate light fixture.—
Michelle F. Solomon,
Miami Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
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Dakota Johnson Johnson married the ubiquity of a red carpet sheer dressing moment with ornate embroidery in her Gucci look.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Without a careful balance, organizations may be stuck either with bloated systems tailored beyond recognition or rigid platforms that stifle innovation and growth.—
Shiv Kaushik,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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Those bloated standing ovations, the ones the trades breathlessly cover with their stopwatches, happen at the latter.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Donovan’s Meyers is fascinating in his stilted weirdness, a bit of a dandy and a bit of a dork.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Aug. 2025
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Meanwhile, on the banks, cooking classes sizzle with lemongrass and tamarind—as water buffalo graze lazily beside stilted homes.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fancy-pants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fancy-pants. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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