Synonyms of pompous

pompous

adjective

ˈpäm-pəs 

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

• arrogant
• supercilious
• cavalier
• high-and-mighty
• pretentious
• haughty
• bumptious
• superior
• uppity
• assumptive
• presumptuous
• sniffy
• important
• high-handed
• uppish
• imperious
• huffy
• chesty
• domineering
• dominant
• smug
• high-hat
• masterful
• highfalutin
• overweening
• authoritarian
• lordly
• proud
• peremptory
• huffish
• self-assertive
• lofty
• presuming
• condescending
• toplofty
• snobbish
• patronizing
• impudent
• stiff-necked
• bossy
• snooty
• pontifical
• magisterial
• snobby
• dominating
• boastful
• vainglorious
• self-asserting
• cocky
• bombastic
• narcissistic
• egocentric
• conceited
• disdainful
• saucy
• blusterous
• hubristic
• egotistic
• swaggering
• impertinent
• blustery
• vain
• egoistic
• pontificating
• complacent
• prideful
• self-satisfied
• self-centered
• braggy
• self-conceited
• uninhibited
• braggart
• self-complacent
• stuck-up
• immodest
• brash
• extroverted
• bragging
• self-flattering
• self-promoting
• self-loving
• orgulous
• unreserved
• self-affected
• self-pleased
• self-applauding
• forward

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• humble
• modest
• lowly
• unpretentious
• timid
• bashful
• sheepish
• diffident
• shy
• subdued
• mousy
• passive
• introverted
• demure
• deferential
• shrinking
• meek
• unassuming
• unarrogant
• unobtrusive
• unassertive
• compliant
• submissive
• acquiescent
• unaggressive
• quiet
• self-doubting
• self-critical
• overmodest
• cringing
• yielding
• reserved
• retiring
• cowering

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

• arrogant
• smug
• proud
• self-important
• vainglorious
• conceited
• egotistic
• vain
• bigheaded
• egoistic
• selfish
• complacent
• prideful
• self-satisfied
• self-conceited
• domineering
• important
• stuck-up
• confident
• overweening
• biggety
• snobbish
• supercilious
• consequential
• cocky
• boastful
• high-and-mighty
• bombastic
• snooty
• self-opinionated
• snobby
• bumptious
• blusterous
• haughty
• assured
• cavalier
• swellheaded
• uppity
• pretentious
• swaggering
• blustery
• braggy
• pontifical
• holier-than-thou
• assumptive
• braggart
• disdainful
• uppish
• overconfident
• high-handed
• bragging
• huffy
• chesty
• high-hat
• self-assertive
• masterful
• presumptuous
• toplofty
• imperious
• fastuous
• superior
• condescending
• self-assured
• self-confident
• lordly
• self-centered
• peremptory
• patronizing
• lofty
• highfalutin
• self-congratulatory
• self-glorifying
• self-contented
• presuming
• self-dramatizing
• self-asserting
• self-promoting
• self-engrossed
• self-gratulatory
• self-adulatory
• self-applauding
• self-affected

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• humble
• modest
• diffident
• egoless
• timid
• meek
• unassertive
• self-critical
• uncomplacent
• unassuming
• unpretentious
• self-doubting
• down-to-earth
• bashful
• sheepish
• self-reproachful
• self-distrustful
• mousy
• shy
• introverted
• self-reproving
• demure
• retiring
• shrinking
• overmodest
• unarrogant

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• arrogant
• pretentious
• grandiose
• ostentatious
• proud
• high-minded
• smug
• snippy
• highfalutin
• affected
• la-di-da
• vainglorious
• high-and-mighty
• conceited
• grandiloquent
• rude
• bumptious
• egotistic
• cavalier
• snobbish
• supercilious
• sententious
• uppity
• self-important
• high-sounding
• vain
• haughty
• presumptuous
• egoistic
• snobby
• aggressive
• prideful
• imperious
• high-handed
• confident
• complacent
• high-toned
• boastful
• important
• self-centered
• disdainful
• self-satisfied
• cocky
• high-hat
• insolent
• hoity-toity
• self-aggrandizing
• impudent
• self-conceited
• overweening
• self-obsessed
• high-flown
• self-complacent
• assertive
• self-glorifying
• showy
• brassy
• superior
• flamboyant
• cheeky
• gaudy
• self-dramatizing
• self-assertive
• self-promoting
• airy
• stuck-up
• lordly
• glitzy
• garish
• sure
• flashy
• self-assured
• self-confident
• self-pleased
• audacious
• self-asserting
• braggart
• bragging
• bold
• flaunting
• splashy
• forward

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• modest
• unpretentious
• humble
• meek
• unassuming
• homely
• lowly
• down-to-earth
• passive
• timid
• retiring
• quiet
• bashful
• unassertive
• shy
• demure
• mousy
• reserved
• diffident
• overmodest

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of pompous

Chelsea then imposed what turned out to be a false and ultimately quite pompous deadline. — Nick Miller, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026

Among them a City boy wearing three Fit-Bit-type devices, two beautiful Middle Eastern sisters, an outrageously pompous elderly American (sorry; eavesdropping), and several Imelda Marcos lookalikes, tottering out of the treatment rooms with, somehow, their elaborate hairstyles still intact. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026

Far from being arty or pompous, Tull laced its sound with a wicked sense of humor and occasional social commentary. — Ernesto Lechner, SPIN, 25 May 2026

The usually pompous Victory Day Parade in Moscow on May 9th had to be pared down for fear of Ukrainian drones. — Natasha Lindstaedt, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026