1
as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude
the pompous waiter served us in the manner of a person doing some poor soul a great favor
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in smug
having too high an opinion of oneself
a pompous piano teacher who thought that the music world was lucky to have her
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pretentious
self-consciously trying to present an appearance of grandeur or importance
a pompous gambling casino decorated to look like a palace in ancient Rome
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pompous
Nelis renders the professor a pompous and pedantic twit but not a heartless one.
—
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2025
Our rituals and our cassocks are pompous.
—Paul Elie, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2025
The Right Way The fear of sounding pompous is what holds some business leaders back from touting their company’s accomplishments.
—John Hall, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
The whole lot of them join forces to stop Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) pompous brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) — with an alien race called the Chitauri at his command — from conquering the planet.
—Will Harris, EW.com, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pompous
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2025
Our rituals and our cassocks are pompous.
—Paul Elie, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2025
The Right Way The fear of sounding pompous is what holds some business leaders back from touting their company’s accomplishments.
—John Hall, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
The whole lot of them join forces to stop Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) pompous brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) — with an alien race called the Chitauri at his command — from conquering the planet.
—Will Harris, EW.com, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pompous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pompous
Adjective
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For example, when a man in his sixties talks about the same thing, he’s seen as calm and logical, but when a woman in her twenties talks about it, she’s seen as arrogant or trying to act mature.—
Billboard Japan,
Billboard,
15 May 2025
-
By losing some of its arrogant charm, Doom has also lost the means to back it up.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
15 May 2025
Adjective
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To his critics, Jost’s smug humor felt noticeably anachronistic at a time when the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements were calling for a greater awareness of society’s deep inequalities, and for ostensibly liberal institutions to do better.—
Michael Tedder,
The Atlantic,
17 May 2025
-
The series has been characterized by smug antics in defeat.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
Sure, there were some pretentious amateurs on the other side of the camera, but the most successful physique photographers were pros with recognizable styles.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
3 May 2025
-
Cage doesn’t get a toe in the tide before he’s given the heave-ho by a pretentious group of quasi-spiritual surfers called the Bay Boys.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2025
Adjective
-
The narrative continues to evolve, due in no small part to proud descendants of Hiram, James and Wallace.—
Jacoba Urist,
Smithsonian Magazine,
15 May 2025
-
In the next round that year, Boston lost Game 6 at home to the Heat before knocking out Jimmy Butler and his proud team by capturing Game 7 in Miami.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
Trump’s arrival in the Saudi capital of Riyadh was flanked by an escort of F-15 fighter jets, a show of the grandiose visit that awaited him.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
16 May 2025
-
The construction of it satisfied something in me that likes breaking the rules, not in any kind of grandiose way but there’s something in the process of that which really satisfies me.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
And for any fan of the show — and Wilson’s over-the-top, egotistical Dwight — the lyrics might not be a total surprise.—
Victoria Edel,
People.com,
15 Apr. 2025
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In the 1998 episode, Theroux, 53, appears briefly as an egotistical writer who flirts with Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw at a party.—
John Russell,
People.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The somewhat ostentatious Vivobook badge on the lid doesn't detract from its overall classy look.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
30 Apr. 2025
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The ostentatious ex-TV host’s unprecedented turn in the White House has already produced several striking visual moments.—
Adam Jeffery,Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Instead he might have been remembered as another god or angel among many, who came down for a while to heal some bodies, heal some souls, who tried in vain to teach us how to get back to the radix of our lives, then left again.—
Lamorna Ash,
The Dial,
6 May 2025
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Fearing that Williams might go to the New Orleans Saints at No. 9, the 49ers tried in vain to trade up to No. 8 with the Carolina Panthers.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
5 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pompous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pompous. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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