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
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
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
Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
The entire episode elicits the kind of pompous stench that has long prompted ill feelings toward Michigan — a sentiment magnified by the actions and attitudes that led to the investigation at hand.
—Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 14 May 2025
The suit also paints a clownish portrait of the entrepreneur, portraying him as pompous, shameless, and untrustworthy.
—Rachel Corbett, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2025
The magic of blasting down a wall of water balanced on a few pounds of Styrofoam doesn’t typically translate to the rectangular page; too many efforts feel pompous, ponderous or preening.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pompous
Adjective
Jain didn’t barge onto the scene with the pompous bravado as many others do.
—Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
The entire episode elicits the kind of pompous stench that has long prompted ill feelings toward Michigan — a sentiment magnified by the actions and attitudes that led to the investigation at hand.
—Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 14 May 2025
The suit also paints a clownish portrait of the entrepreneur, portraying him as pompous, shameless, and untrustworthy.
—Rachel Corbett, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2025
The magic of blasting down a wall of water balanced on a few pounds of Styrofoam doesn’t typically translate to the rectangular page; too many efforts feel pompous, ponderous or preening.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pompous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pompous
Adjective
-
Her larger-than-life ego and past as a shaman make Player 044 come off as arrogant and selfish, getting under just about everyone's skin.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
4 July 2025
-
In 2022, Ackles joined the cast of Prime Video's The Boys as arrogant superhero Soldier Boy.—
Brianne Tracy,
People.com,
4 July 2025
Adjective
-
In Superman, Bennett steps into the shoes of Steve Lombard, the Daily Planet's smug sports reporter.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
28 June 2025
-
One of Ferrell’s biggest and best movies was this hilarious racing spoof, which followed the rise and fall and rise of a smug champion racer, his complicated friendship with best pal and fellow racer John C. Reilly, and his rivalry with an effete, snotty Frenchman played by Sacha Baron Cohen.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
Sitting in a room full of pretentious ex-friends and mentally eviscerating them all is a universal human experience.—
Literary Hub
July 1,
Literary Hub,
1 July 2025
-
And a slightly surreal, fantastical closing scene is puzzling and pretentious rather than provocative.—
Stephen Farber,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2025
Noun
-
This silliness, the silliness of his arrogance, was actually funny to me.—
Ottessa Moshfegh,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
-
On the dark side, however, Mercury in Leo can spark moments of arrogance and stubbornness.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
Lean a framed print against the wall in the center of a wide vanity or on a shelf above the toilet.—
Dina Cheney,
Los Angeles Times,
30 June 2025
-
The Eden's bathroom is placed on the opposite side of the home to the entrance and has a toilet, a vanity sink, and a walk-in shower, plus a little more storage space.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
Our more than 18,000 Bombardier employees are proud to welcome this new, important customer to our family.—
Doug Gollan,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
Once again, Newsweek is proud to highlight your voices.—
Joshua Sammons,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
Since then, grandiose rivers of tulle have streamed through celebrity ceremonies like fast-rushing water: from Sophia Richie to Paris Hilton, Naomi Biden, Nicola Peltz Beckham and Millie Bobby Brown.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
30 June 2025
-
Seon-nyeo and Jeong-dae have successfully arrived at an exit, but her grandiose personality gives Jeong-dae the window to push her aside and slam the door shut behind him.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
Noun
-
Yet as more data has emerged demonstrating the safety or even superiority of AI for some tasks, those views are likely changing.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
Red Bull enjoyed a period of superiority since the inception of the current ground effect era in 2022, thanks to the aerodynamic expertise of the team's former chief technical officer, Adrian Newey.—
Saajan Jogia,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pompous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pompous. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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