pompousness

noun

Definition of pompousnessnext
1
as in arrogance
an exaggerated sense of one's importance that shows itself in the making of excessive or unjustified claims offended by the pompousness of the minor official

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in vanity
an often unjustified feeling of being pleased with oneself or with one's situation or achievements the pompousness of the self-made billionaire was evident in the gaudy mansion he built for himself

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pompousness Any claim for Swift’s genius should reckon with her lapses into imprecision and pompousness. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pompousness
  1. arrogance
  2. vanity
  3. superiority
  4. ego
  5. pride
  6. smugness
Noun
  • Aemond, too, for that matter, while Daemon’s arrogance continues to get Team Black into all sorts of predicaments.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • But the league’s own research found that what reads as charisma in Dallas can land as arrogance in Düsseldorf.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of arrogance
Noun
  • This, in turn, resulted in a bathroom remodel because the entire two-sink vanity needed to be replaced.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Leo is the hype friend of the zodiac, encouraging us to be proud and confident in ourselves — not from a place of vanity but from genuine self-respect.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of vanity
Noun
  • Khrushchev’s victory ensured the superiority of party leaders relative to other figures in the state, cementing his own power and giving him control of the regime.
    — Julian G. Waller, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Although these submarines represent some of the fastest ever constructed, modern naval warfare has shown that speed alone does not guarantee superiority.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of superiority
Noun
  • But what really interested us with this movie was trying to understand the humanity and searching for and exploring the love and the loyalty to characters to have a dialogue with an audience and not do it for the sake of ego or shock.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Aug. 2026
  • In a day when outsized egos rule the sports landscape, Harvey is humble, upbeat and engaging.
    — Maury Brown, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of ego
Noun
  • His brand shone as a symbol of national pride and soft power.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Rivera nearly stuck the vault, her coach Valeri Liukin beaming with pride.
    — Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of pride
Noun
  • The demon was largely limited to one expression — smugness — and was inexplicably the only character who spoke Japanese.
    — Corbin Bolies, Variety, 10 June 2026
  • One widespread subspecies endemic to the area is the haughty Cardinal, recognized by its bright-red plumage and smugness about winning a dozen National League Central crowns.
    — Robert Annis, Midwest Living, 31 May 2026
Definition of smugness

Browse Nearby Words

pompously
pompousness
poncho
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pompousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pompousness. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All