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
After all, the first informs the second in ways that are intellectually satisfying to dig into; the latter lends itself to grandiosity.
—
Daniel D'addario, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
All brittleness and bile in the hands of Diego Luna, Valentín’s quiet righteousness rubs up against his cellmate’s grandiosity in all the wrong ways — at first.
—Blythe Marks, Them., 17 Oct. 2025
Ex-wife Kim Kardashian and her mother Kris Jenner are depicted trying to reach Ye through his fog of grandiosity, to no avail.
—Derek Robertson, The Washington Examiner, 10 Oct. 2025
But if blithe grandiosity was Stein’s armor, there was a chink in it.
—Judith Thurman, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Related Articles Want to tap into the grandiosity of it all through your makeup looks, in a way that pays homage to the elegance and glam of a showgirl’s life while staying true to today’s top beauty trends?
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2025
Regardless, the president clearly reveled in his proximity to grandiosity.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
But her best work is in reaction to McKellen’s grandiosity.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2025
Talking to a narcissist—whose behavior is characterized by grandiosity, a constant need for admiration, and a lack of empathy—is the ultimate example of navigating conversational landmines.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 3 Sep. 2025
Daniel D'addario, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
All brittleness and bile in the hands of Diego Luna, Valentín’s quiet righteousness rubs up against his cellmate’s grandiosity in all the wrong ways — at first.
—Blythe Marks, Them., 17 Oct. 2025
Ex-wife Kim Kardashian and her mother Kris Jenner are depicted trying to reach Ye through his fog of grandiosity, to no avail.
—Derek Robertson, The Washington Examiner, 10 Oct. 2025
But if blithe grandiosity was Stein’s armor, there was a chink in it.
—Judith Thurman, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Related Articles Want to tap into the grandiosity of it all through your makeup looks, in a way that pays homage to the elegance and glam of a showgirl’s life while staying true to today’s top beauty trends?
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2025
Regardless, the president clearly reveled in his proximity to grandiosity.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2025
But her best work is in reaction to McKellen’s grandiosity.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2025
Talking to a narcissist—whose behavior is characterized by grandiosity, a constant need for admiration, and a lack of empathy—is the ultimate example of navigating conversational landmines.
—Angela Haupt, Time, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grandiosity
Noun
-
Now, though levees may not exactly be back, royal affectations and the disputes that go with them are.—
Jake Lundberg,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
-
That’s probably an affectation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
In a post dripping with arrogance, Lynch dished out demeaning nicknames for her recent opponents.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
This propensity for mental acrobatics, alongside his immense arrogance, was how Epstein rationalized his crimes to himself.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Ron Rosenbaum on the Icon and the Enigma To be caught in the spotlight of our pretensions is the worst kind of embarrassment there is.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Few things jar the delicate pretensions of the cocktail sophisticate so much as a drink with a chicken on top.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
Denver Post,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Posing on top of an antique vanity and inside a wooden cabinet, Bieber cycled through a parade of sheer lace, see-through mesh, and strappy designs in shades of red, black, pink, and cream.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
7 Jan. 2026
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Store liquids—such as lotion, makeup, perfumes, and skincare—on a tray to protect your vanity table or bathroom cabinet.—
Abby Wolner,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
This week’s truncating of the schedule removed whatever pretense remained that Kennedy’s HHS would respect the scientific process for making decisions about vaccines even when that process was dominated by allies who had already taken action to roll back recommendations.—
Grayson Logue,
Washington Post,
9 Jan. 2026
-
But gone are the days when those books were displayed to show off the intellect and interests of their owners — and with it, the pretense, at least, that their owners had read them.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grandiosity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grandiosity. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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