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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and María Luisa Manrique de Lara y Gonzaga (a rather pompous name that encompassed two major hereditary estates, a principality, a county, a marquisate, and, for a time, a viceroyalty) met in 1680 in Mexico City.
—
Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
His portrayal of a pompous, yapping intellectual who's rotten to the core rings uncomfortably true, as do the performances of Thatcher and East as their characters nonverbally communicate their discomfort to each other.
—Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Guigal’s strategy isn’t built on pompous conservatism, but in long-term thinking.
—Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Louis Partridge will take on the scheming Mr Wickham, with Jamie Demetriou playing the pompous Mr Collins, Daryl McCormack as Jane’s beloved Mr Bingley, Siena Kelly as his sister Caroline and Shaw as the fearsome Lady Catherine de Bourg.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pompous
Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
His portrayal of a pompous, yapping intellectual who's rotten to the core rings uncomfortably true, as do the performances of Thatcher and East as their characters nonverbally communicate their discomfort to each other.
—Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
Guigal’s strategy isn’t built on pompous conservatism, but in long-term thinking.
—Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Louis Partridge will take on the scheming Mr Wickham, with Jamie Demetriou playing the pompous Mr Collins, Daryl McCormack as Jane’s beloved Mr Bingley, Siena Kelly as his sister Caroline and Shaw as the fearsome Lady Catherine de Bourg.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pompous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pompous
Adjective
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A lot of people who are that level of arrogant, there’s also an immense insecurity, right?—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The boy is arrogant, Helen thinks.—
Sadia Shepard,
New Yorker,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But that poem is no smug cliché.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Marcello is looking especially smug and evil in this scene for reasons unclear.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
19 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The result is a unique brand of luxury that is warm, welcoming, and intentional—not pretentious.—
Nina Ruggiero,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Jonathan’s making pretentious anti-capitalist films at NYU.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
1 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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South Florida sports history is proud to have been the host for Crump’s barrier-busting history.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The Big Ten is marching into the heart of Southern football with a proud swagger, daring any conference to challenge its claim as the power to beat in the College Football Playoff.—
Charles Odum,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The hotel faces onto the grandiose Andrássy Avenue, home to the opera house and an array of high-end boutiques such as Louis Vuitton, but leaving the main drag reveals edgier and arguably far more interesting streets.—
Cassie Doney,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Jan. 2026
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The fragile skeleton of her ego threatened to snap under the pressure of the animal forces that pressed down on her consciousness, her narrative mind sagging and distended beneath pitiless and grandiose feeling.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Governments such as those of Spain and Italy demanded in vain the release of several of its nationals.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Some tribes in the region that traditionally hold First Salmon feasts to welcome the arrival of spring salmon from the ocean have waited for their catch in vain, forcing them to ask other tribes to donate a fish, Gobin said.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Besides, $500 gets you a pretty decent phone these days — without ostentatious gold and a close affiliation with a president who has a decades-long track record of launching and sinking well over a dozen businesses.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
7 Jan. 2026
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Underneath all the spandex and over-the-top production numbers is a sincere film that cares as much about sharing the joy of music as satirizing its ostentatious performance.—
Andrew Walsh,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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And women who foreground themselves in any capacity are often perceived to be self-important drama queens, or narcissists.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
22 Dec. 2025
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Jeffrey Tambor Known for playing the pompous, self-important mayor of Whoville, Jeffery Tambor also has an esteemed career across television and film.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pompous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pompous. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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