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
That grandiosity simmers down into terrifying chase soundtracks and menacing hunter's heartbeats as the movie continues, but the after-image of those glorious strings lingers through the rest of the franchise.
—
Alex Galbraith, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
Critics such as economist Jeffrey Sachs have warned that the NSS is grounded in grandiosity and Machiavellianism, substituting coercion for cooperation and dominance for legitimacy.
—Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
Ancher avoided grandiosity, said Lucy Waterson in Apollo.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 29 Jan. 2026
Mise-en-scène remains crucial to maintaining the grandiosity of the Marci experience—his reference pool and peerless lifestyle raps simultaneously enhance each other.
—Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 28 Jan. 2026
Swedish singer-composer Anna von Hausswolff, whose cathedral melodies, intense vocals and doom-laden dirges share much in common with Nordic heavy-metal culture, specializes in mystery and grandiosity.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
Denzel Washington’s shawls in Gladiator II were an extension of the aspiring politician’s grandiosity.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025
Narcissism is defined by long-standing patterns of grandiosity, an extreme need for attention, and fantasies of unlimited brilliance.
—Big Think, 27 Nov. 2025
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
Alex Galbraith, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Feb. 2026
Critics such as economist Jeffrey Sachs have warned that the NSS is grounded in grandiosity and Machiavellianism, substituting coercion for cooperation and dominance for legitimacy.
—Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
Ancher avoided grandiosity, said Lucy Waterson in Apollo.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 29 Jan. 2026
Mise-en-scène remains crucial to maintaining the grandiosity of the Marci experience—his reference pool and peerless lifestyle raps simultaneously enhance each other.
—Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 28 Jan. 2026
Swedish singer-composer Anna von Hausswolff, whose cathedral melodies, intense vocals and doom-laden dirges share much in common with Nordic heavy-metal culture, specializes in mystery and grandiosity.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
Denzel Washington’s shawls in Gladiator II were an extension of the aspiring politician’s grandiosity.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025
Narcissism is defined by long-standing patterns of grandiosity, an extreme need for attention, and fantasies of unlimited brilliance.
—Big Think, 27 Nov. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grandiosity
Noun
-
For the most part though, For the First Time, Again is weighed down by oversinging and emotional affectation.—
Millan Verma,
Pitchfork,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The self-conscious aspiration to hipness here is unfortunate and decidedly not cool, but some may find such affectations quaint.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Raised on a strict diet of toughness and discipline by his father, Dean arrives with undeniable talent – and an arrogance that quickly earns him enemies.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Things moved about at the top with a little more arrogance and zip but at the bottom was the ever-moving present.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
His lack of pretension, reflected in performances that found power in subtlety, only added to the admiration of his peers and the public.—
Fred Schruers,
IndieWire,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The menu is elevated, but without pretension.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
If there’s not enough space in your vanity to keep the counter clear, a storage cabinet is a great way to keep daily items accessible.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2026
-
So, roughly $300 billion – a 7% gap – separates these three countries from California on this vanity scoreboard.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Call it polish without pretense.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
17 Feb. 2026
-
This is not an e-bike; there are no pedals and, interestingly, no pretense of a bicycle categorization to blur regulatory lines.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grandiosity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grandiosity. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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