variants
also hifalutin
1
as in rhetorical
full of fine words and fancy expressions
his highfalutin paean to the working class failed to win over a crowd that wanted to hear down-to-earth proposals for economic relief
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude
her highfalutin relatives from New York made the snide remark that her little house "has that lived-in look"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in proud
having or displaying feelings of scorn for what is regarded as beneath oneself
refused to be intimidated by the highfalutin manner of the sales staff in the fashionable boutique
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in pretentious
self-consciously trying to present an appearance of grandeur or importance
"fine Southern cuisine" sounds a bit highfalutin for a barbecue shack
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of highfalutin
The resulting public mockery has forced the company to make sweaty apologies while standing by its highfalutin claims about the bot’s capabilities.
—
Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
But the audit is a reminder that state agencies rarely live up to their highfalutin promises.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 27 July 2025
Gaddis is not afraid of braiding in highfalutin references, and his humor is both very patrician and cultured as well as loose and street.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 16 July 2025
Packing more lightweight aluminum than anything from Ferrari, Lamborghini, or Porsche, the Acura defied expectations again with a shocking US $60,000 price, a fraction the cost of its highfalutin rivals.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Sep. 2016
See All Example Sentences for highfalutin
Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
But the audit is a reminder that state agencies rarely live up to their highfalutin promises.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 27 July 2025
Gaddis is not afraid of braiding in highfalutin references, and his humor is both very patrician and cultured as well as loose and street.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 16 July 2025
Packing more lightweight aluminum than anything from Ferrari, Lamborghini, or Porsche, the Acura defied expectations again with a shocking US $60,000 price, a fraction the cost of its highfalutin rivals.
—IEEE Spectrum, 26 Sep. 2016
See All Example Sentences for highfalutin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for highfalutin
Adjective
-
Trinidad and Tobago, which has offered practical and rhetorical support to the administration's moves, declined to sign the agreement.—
DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS,
Arkansas Online,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Notwithstanding his rhetorical mistake in Atlanta, any future attacks that come from the tour will hold little water given his track record.—
Douglas Schoen,
Oc Register,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The history of classic Athens shows us that a Democracy can misuse its power, become arrogant and become a tyrant.—
Letters to the Editor,
Hartford Courant,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Maekar refuses, earning a cutting rebuttal from Dunk about the royal upbringing that turned Daeron (Henry Ashton) into a drunken coward and Aerion into an arrogant and cruel madman.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Elsewhere, Jenna Ortega’s tattered Christian Cowan slip dress featured a thigh-high slit that would make Jolie proud.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Older brother Justin and sister Joi were also present and proud.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
She had been blamed for breaking up the greatest band of all time; her art was pretentious and nonsensical; her music was unlistenable.—
Sadie Sartini Garner,
Pitchfork,
21 Feb. 2026
-
And not to get too pretentious, but in a Greek theater setting, the archetypes these guys represent.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The Garden District is one of those areas that floats between yesterday and tomorrow, where Greek- and Italianate-style homes adorned with ornate cast iron and sweeping verandas provide shade for people watching and respite from the commercial center.—
Kristin Braswell,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Its ornate crown and slender profile present significant structural challenges, particularly in managing sway and occupant comfort at extreme height.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Students are cavalier about turning AI writing in to me.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Nikola Jokic was cavalier with the ball, and the Cavaliers took advantage.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The company’s move underscores how the high-minded intentions that guided AI startups in their early years have increasingly collided with the pressures to make money and beat out the competition.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
The opera offers a look at how the Civil War ended with high-minded statesmanship.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Woods kept everyone guessing — a favorite hobby of his — with one word and a smug grin last week at Riviera when he was asked if playing in the Masters was off the table.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Meanwhile, a young Denholm Elliott makes for a delightfully smug Edgar Linton, and the underrated Angela Thornton brings to Isabella Linton a welcome sensuality.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Highfalutin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/highfalutin. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
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