as in affectation
the quality or state of appearing or trying to appear more important or more valuable than is the case
I'd rather be thought of as a person with simple integrity, not a person given to grandiosity and exaggeration
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Recent Examples of grandiosity
Such desperate attempts at grandiosity evoke empty vanity, clutching at physical monuments to prove a greatness that history has not yet conferred.
—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
For more than 50 years, mental health literature has taught professionals about narcissistic behavior, with its grandiosity, exaggerated need for praise, inability to admit error, and turning setbacks into personal grievances.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2026
Entrepreneurs displaying narcissistic behavior are better able to convince investors to give them money when their grandiosity comes across as confidence as opposed to defensiveness or arrogance.
—Paul Sanchez Ruiz, The Conversation, 6 Apr. 2026
Set in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, the grandiosity of MoMA is deceptive.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
But self-indulgence is the whole point of This Music May Contain Hope, and the album wouldn’t work at all without her flamboyant grandiosity.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2026
McCrery had introduced the Corinthian order to the ballroom entrance, projecting a grandiosity above and beyond that of the main house, which uses the more modest and domestic Ionic order.
—Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Nini or Juicy sneaking in there would just detract from the grandiosity of those three going at it in the finale.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2026
Gemini’s thinking logs in the village are fraught with grandiosity and a sense of persecution.
—Tharin Pillay, Time, 12 Mar. 2026
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 13 Apr. 2026
For more than 50 years, mental health literature has taught professionals about narcissistic behavior, with its grandiosity, exaggerated need for praise, inability to admit error, and turning setbacks into personal grievances.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2026
Entrepreneurs displaying narcissistic behavior are better able to convince investors to give them money when their grandiosity comes across as confidence as opposed to defensiveness or arrogance.
—Paul Sanchez Ruiz, The Conversation, 6 Apr. 2026
Set in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, the grandiosity of MoMA is deceptive.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
But self-indulgence is the whole point of This Music May Contain Hope, and the album wouldn’t work at all without her flamboyant grandiosity.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2026
McCrery had introduced the Corinthian order to the ballroom entrance, projecting a grandiosity above and beyond that of the main house, which uses the more modest and domestic Ionic order.
—Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 22 Mar. 2026
Nini or Juicy sneaking in there would just detract from the grandiosity of those three going at it in the finale.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 21 Mar. 2026
Gemini’s thinking logs in the village are fraught with grandiosity and a sense of persecution.
—Tharin Pillay, Time, 12 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grandiosity
Noun
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Slumming with her sister in San Francisco after her life with her Madoff-like ex in New York implodes, Jasmine Francis isn't quite willing to let go of the affectations that come with living in high society.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
-
For the most part though, For the First Time, Again is weighed down by oversinging and emotional affectation.—
Millan Verma,
Pitchfork,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
While their energies differ, nearly all of them share the same basic drives (money, power, status) and the same fundamental flaws (greed, arrogance, selfishness).—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Their defensive style can look like arrogance or hostility.—
Paul Sanchez Ruiz,
The Conversation,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Electric Bleu is a testament to the reality that food can be technically precise and expertly executed, without the pretension and toxicity so often associated with fine dining kitchens.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Apr. 2026
-
There’s no phoniness, no pretension.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The primary bath is outfitted with marble flooring, Lefroy Brooks plumbing fixtures, Ann Sachs tile, dual vanities, a large soaking tub and a steam shower.—
Lauryn Azu,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Documents said the teenager told police that Ploor grabbed her, pushed her into a vanity, punched her in the chest, and pushed his elbow into her throat.—
Adam Thompson,
CBS News,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The 2025 Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act, or HEAR Act, expands on a 2016 law, signed by President Barack Obama, that permits victims and descendants of victims of the Holocaust to lay legal claim to works of art looted by the Nazis or sold to the Nazis under false pretenses.—
Jackie Hajdenberg,
Sun Sentinel,
20 Apr. 2026
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People finally get to see me, and there's no pretense about that.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grandiosity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grandiosity. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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