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
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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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of highfalutin
Standing 787 feet tall, the tower was one of the last of the era — when downtown Dallas’ skyline was defined by highfalutin oil execs, bankers, financiers and the architects who used steel, concrete and glass to erect opulent monuments to their economic success.
—
Nick Wooten,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Jan. 2026
Early on, Feld became Chicago’s most divisive restaurant, a flash point for critics of highfalutin many-course tasting menus.
—
The Bon Appétit Staff,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 Sep. 2025
There is support for AAC and SBC codecs, but none of your highfalutin aptX Adaptive or LDAC.
—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for highfalutin
Nick Wooten,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Jan. 2026
Early on, Feld became Chicago’s most divisive restaurant, a flash point for critics of highfalutin many-course tasting menus.
—
The Bon Appétit Staff,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
12 Sep. 2025
There is support for AAC and SBC codecs, but none of your highfalutin aptX Adaptive or LDAC.
—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
19 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for highfalutin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for highfalutin
Adjective
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Hiding in plain sight Pennsylvania, like many northern states, responded to the Declaration of Independence’s rhetorical commitment to liberty by enacting a gradual emancipation law.
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The invocation of self-evident truths and inherent rights is a warrant for the destruction of existing order, a rhetorical erasure not only of the divine right of kings but also, more generally, of the prerogatives of power.
Adjective
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The passage is incoherent, yet, in conflating progressive reform with arrogant blind faith, it is perfectly suited to Vance’s cynical conservatism.
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To no one’s surprise, Bonnie is immediately transfixed by her Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee, whose arrogant smarm effectively threads the needle between Maya Hawke’s Anxiety and Regina George’s everything else).
Adjective
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Mamdani, proud of his socialist values, had developed a language for communicating a collective, interdependent vision of city life through his consistent emphasis on affordability.
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This is also where the film dips into the past and becomes awash in the proud history of Hawaiian surfing, bowing at the legend of the great Duke Kahanamoku and going deep into others and how the sport became such a religion for many, notably devotee Kristen.
Adjective
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But there’s much to like here — from the two leads, the numerous Bay Area shots (the Golden Gate Bridge should get a supporting actor credit), Nick Offerman as a pretentious, cruel chef and Lukas Gage as a clueless cretin love interest/coworker.
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Not to sound pretentious, but Elwood Dowd is sort of like a Christlike figure.
Adjective
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Hand engraving and ornate craftsmanship have also become more desirable as consumers gravitate toward pieces that feel handmade and deeply personal.
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The cathedral, its peaceful cloister, and its ornate crypt are also worth a visit.
Adjective
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The Nuggets were particularly cavalier with second-rounders in the 2024 offseason, which turned out to be Booth’s last at the helm.
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The testimony consistently deployed a cavalier attitude about money.
Adjective
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Moreover, the average person seeing a super PAC ad will not know what was in those filings, but will simply see the high-minded sounding name of the PAC.
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These are not the times for high-minded prestige series that require active viewing to appreciate every nuance, nor for thrillers and comedies exciting enough to quicken the pulse.
Adjective
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Most smug articles and books that claim to provide quick fixes come off as tone-deaf or even counterproductive.
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But the series’ central character, played by Rachel Weisz, has enough nervous, itchy, manic energy to make the show’s narrative structure feel purposely unstable rather than safely smug.
Cite this Entry
“Highfalutin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/highfalutin. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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