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
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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
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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
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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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pompous
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2025
Our rituals and our cassocks are pompous.
—Paul Elie, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2025
The Right Way The fear of sounding pompous is what holds some business leaders back from touting their company’s accomplishments.
—John Hall, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
The whole lot of them join forces to stop Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) pompous brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) — with an alien race called the Chitauri at his command — from conquering the planet.
—Will Harris, EW.com, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pompous
Adjective
Nelis renders the professor a pompous and pedantic twit but not a heartless one.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2025
Our rituals and our cassocks are pompous.
—Paul Elie, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2025
The Right Way The fear of sounding pompous is what holds some business leaders back from touting their company’s accomplishments.
—John Hall, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
The whole lot of them join forces to stop Thor’s (Chris Hemsworth) pompous brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston) — with an alien race called the Chitauri at his command — from conquering the planet.
—Will Harris, EW.com, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pompous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pompous
Adjective
-
For example, when a man in his sixties talks about the same thing, he’s seen as calm and logical, but when a woman in her twenties talks about it, she’s seen as arrogant or trying to act mature.—
Billboard Japan,
Billboard,
15 May 2025
-
By losing some of its arrogant charm, Doom has also lost the means to back it up.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
To his critics, Jost’s smug humor felt noticeably anachronistic at a time when the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements were calling for a greater awareness of society’s deep inequalities, and for ostensibly liberal institutions to do better.—
Michael Tedder,
The Atlantic,
17 May 2025
-
The series has been characterized by smug antics in defeat.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
16 May 2025
Adjective
-
Sure, there were some pretentious amateurs on the other side of the camera, but the most successful physique photographers were pros with recognizable styles.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
3 May 2025
-
Cage doesn’t get a toe in the tide before he’s given the heave-ho by a pretentious group of quasi-spiritual surfers called the Bay Boys.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2025
Noun
-
The Knicks have pulled it off by being resilient, near perfect in spurts and with the help of arrogance from the opponent.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
-
Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way.—
Jeannie Suk Gersen,
New Yorker,
15 May 2025
Noun
-
As its name implies, the Emotional Support lip balm ($24), is anything but a vanity project.—
Dahvi Shira,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2025
-
According to nutritionist Payal Kothari, author of The Gut, the rise of the high-protein diet has been driven by a mix of vanity and virality.—
Sara Hussain,
Vogue,
12 May 2025
Adjective
-
In the next round that year, Boston lost Game 6 at home to the Heat before knocking out Jimmy Butler and his proud team by capturing Game 7 in Miami.—
Jay King,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
-
The narrative continues to evolve, due in no small part to proud descendants of Hiram, James and Wallace.—
Jacoba Urist,
Smithsonian Magazine,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
Trump’s arrival in the Saudi capital of Riyadh was flanked by an escort of F-15 fighter jets, a show of the grandiose visit that awaited him.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
16 May 2025
-
The construction of it satisfied something in me that likes breaking the rules, not in any kind of grandiose way but there’s something in the process of that which really satisfies me.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
During an interview with Josh Martinez of Z100 on Superstar Crossover, Ospreay stated AEW's superiority in the current wrestling landscape.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 May 2025
-
And they’ve been romanticized for nearly as long by foreign travelers who see an espresso bar and long counter full of hot foods, panini, and piles of prosciutto as a sign of culinary superiority.—
Lindsey Tramuta,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
7 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pompous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pompous. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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