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
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
-
There has never quite been a critical or scholarly consensus about them, but Bellini, whose music is suspended somewhere between Rossini’s precise brilliance and Donizetti’s rhetorical force, can move audiences with his melodic facility.—
Arya Roshanian,
The New York Review of Books,
6 June 2026
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Those include rhetorical shifts, partnerships with brokerage platforms and teaming up with companies to develop necessary infrastructure.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
1 June 2026
Adjective
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As Molloy gradually succeeds in puncturing Lestat’s aloof, arrogant outer shell, his sound correspondingly shifts from assaultive punk to more contemplative ballads.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
7 June 2026
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But Lobo isn't some mindless arrogant hulk out to impose his indomitable will.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
Colombia of 1994 is not Colombia of 2026, a safer country, a happier country, a more united country, a prouder country.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 June 2026
-
The quality of your trip can set a tone for the next part of your day and can shift the experience of commuting to something of which to be proud in our city.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
8 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
-
Camp Lucy was born when former antiques dealer and real estate developer Whit Hanks restored the ornate chapel on his family’s property in 2008.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 May 2026
-
Despite its ornate craftsmanship and intricacies, Osaka’s tennis kit is still functional, transitioning from an entrance look to a competition-ready uniform for the four-time Grand Slam champion.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
26 May 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
-
Of course, for all the high-minded theorizing, there were plenty of more practical discussions of using AI to speed workflows on the back end.—
Cortney Harding,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
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The markets were launched with high-minded ambitions of using the wisdom of the crowd to forecast future events, and help business leaders and politicians make better decisions.—
Semafor Events,
semafor.com,
22 May 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 11 Jun. 2026.
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