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"
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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
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
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
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
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
-
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.—
Carolyn Zola,
The Conversation,
11 June 2026
-
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.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
The two roles underline the actor’s formidable versatility, all skittish panic in the former and arrogant sociopathy in the other.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
13 June 2026
-
Washington State’s beauty is almost arrogant in its expansiveness.—
C Pam Zhang,
Travel + Leisure,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Citadel is proud not to have a touchy-feely atmosphere.—
Gary Sernovitz,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
-
From a family cooking class to golf-watching gatherings, these 28 Father’s Day celebrations are sure to make dad proud.—
Samantha Nelson,
Chicago Tribune,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Not to sound pretentious, but Elwood Dowd is sort of like a Christlike figure.—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2026
-
Set the scene Sexy without being pretentious and bold without the brashness, Il Sereno is a lesson in artful restraint.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
The walls are chockablock with paintings of former presidents in heavily ornate gold frames.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
-
The film has a very specific, ornate visual style.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Nuggets were particularly cavalier with second-rounders in the 2024 offseason, which turned out to be Booth’s last at the helm.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
2 June 2026
-
The testimony consistently deployed a cavalier attitude about money.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
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.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
-
Considerably more sympathetic to her plight is Melanie Saunders (Graynor), a high-minded acting teacher whose intensive Act One studio Hannah chances upon while researching her favorite young actress, Gracie Thomas (Tavi Gevinson), online.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
Most smug articles and books that claim to provide quick fixes come off as tone-deaf or even counterproductive.—
Anna Holmes,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2026
-
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.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Highfalutin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/highfalutin. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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