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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pompous
Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2025
Among the latter is ravenous beaver Nibbles Maplestick (Fortune Feimster, hilarious), who turns out to be a key ally, and pompous new mayor Brian Winddancer (Patrick Warburton), a stallion who used to be an actor.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 25 Nov. 2025
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pompous
Adjective
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
Among the latter is ravenous beaver Nibbles Maplestick (Fortune Feimster, hilarious), who turns out to be a key ally, and pompous new mayor Brian Winddancer (Patrick Warburton), a stallion who used to be an actor.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 25 Nov. 2025
Noun
Any claim for Swift’s genius should reckon with her lapses into imprecision and pompousness.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pompous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pompous
Adjective
-
The rabbi is ornery, arrogant, sometimes cruel.—
Daniel Felsenthal,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Those leaders who ignore or flout the law aren’t merely unethical but fatally arrogant, putting their childish willfulness over the wisdom of generations.—
David Brooks,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Bateman’s Clark is comfortably semi-famous, semi-smug and also, maybe, a decent guy.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Over Your Dead Body is not for the faint of heart, but give or take a rape threat that crosses the line into smug sadism without quite seeming to realize it, the violence lands as more comically cartoonish than horrific.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The service Finessed but friendly, high touch but never pretentious.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Dim lights, a chic elegant interior, a chatty and trendy crowd, a menu that’s sophisticated but not too pretentious, and a welcoming bar (plus a little je ne sais quoi) are to be expected.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Money and jealousy are the root of the play’s evils, with more deadly sins released in a world of posh, uppity arrogance.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
In a study with 355 participants, the authors narrowed their list to 16 warning signs that predicted violence that occurred within six months — many of them having to do with entitlement, arrogance, control and emotional immaturity.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
One thing to keep in mind is that the bathrooms are open-concept, flowing into the bedroom and living area with no door separating the sink/vanity.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Clavicular is like a blend of Dorian Gray and Patrick Bateman, those fictional creations of gay authors out to probe the sinister side of male vanity.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
One of his proudest accomplishments was creating the FWISD Scholar Athlete Award program.—
Kamal Morgan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Mar. 2026
-
On the question of T-pop’s rising global profile, Satur is proud but measured.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
His grandiose persona rubbed many the wrong way early on, earning him a villain label.—
Pamela Chelin,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Thanks to his many grandiose inheritances, Charles ruled over territory that today comprises Austria, much of northern Italy, the Low Countries, and Spain.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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For years, the Red Bull driver was the benchmark – often cruising through races with rivals unable to challenge his superiority.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
30 Mar. 2026
-
America has gone to war many times with the hubris of superiority.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pompous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pompous. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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