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
-
The way Koko is received for her affectation is part of what’s frustrating to watch, too.—
Jihan Forbes,
Allure,
29 Oct. 2025
-
In retrospect, Kinetta feels like a dry run for Lanthimos, with all the droll affectation of his later provocations but little of the allegorical power or lunatic comedy that would distinguish them.—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 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
-
Further forward lies a galley, lobby, and an owner’s suite with an office, vanity, walk-in wardrobe, and en suite.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
4 Nov. 2025
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The camera then panned to her vanity to reveal a Sephora bag — teasing her new holiday brand deal — knocked over with some items missing.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
PEOPLE,
1 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
His memoir told of workhouse guards beating prisoners on the least pretense, and of one guard who regularly shoved prisoners down flights of stairs.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
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The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime said in a May report that women from more than 20 African countries had been recruited under false pretences to make drones for Russia’s war.—
Reuters 16 hr ago,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Grandiosity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grandiosity. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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