1
as in arrogant
self-consciously trying to present an appearance of grandeur or importance
that pretentious couple always serves caviar at their parties, even though they themselves dislike it
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in superior
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude
a pretentious author whose books only appeal to equally pretentious readers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pretentious
Drenched in designer labels and working at the house of Christian Dior, Blunt’s Emily has become the pretentious partner of a billionaire tech mogul played by Justin Theroux, sources said.
—
Matt Donnelly, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
Her capriciousness leads her into an affair with a frustrated professor, Mark (Michael Angarano), who compliments her writing and composes pretentious, backhandedly insulting poems about their not-quite-love.
—Judy Berman, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
Chic but not pretentious, Belden House and Mews has blown a refreshing breeze of European style into the tiny enclave about two hours from New York City, that is also packed with hundreds of miles of hiking trails and classic landscapes.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2026
But none of that does much to camouflage a core drama that’s pretentious and dull.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pretentious
Matt Donnelly, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
Her capriciousness leads her into an affair with a frustrated professor, Mark (Michael Angarano), who compliments her writing and composes pretentious, backhandedly insulting poems about their not-quite-love.
—Judy Berman, Time, 15 Apr. 2026
Chic but not pretentious, Belden House and Mews has blown a refreshing breeze of European style into the tiny enclave about two hours from New York City, that is also packed with hundreds of miles of hiking trails and classic landscapes.
—Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2026
But none of that does much to camouflage a core drama that’s pretentious and dull.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pretentious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretentious
Adjective
-
The tension between the two boils over into a confrontation which only Eisenhower can adjudicate, a task complicated by his own arrogant British subordinate, a wiry and dislikable General Bernard Montgomery - played with a villainous verve bordering on the pantomime by Damian Lewis.—
Daniel Jonah Wolpert,
NPR,
29 May 2026
-
Public policy decisions always need to strive for middle ground, and those leadership decisions often referred to as arrogant can just as easily be called principled leadership.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
Here, the decor is brighter and airier, leaning into refined beach-chic vibes more than ostentatious island tropes.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 May 2026
-
Jay Gatsby’s ostentatious fortune failed to win the love of Daisy Buchanan.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
For starters, the lobby is anything but grandiose.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
-
That slight tweak—far from the grandiose promise of political revolution—might find power in the voters’ verdict.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
30 May 2026
Adjective
-
Most smug articles and books that claim to provide quick fixes come off as tone-deaf or even counterproductive.—
Anna Holmes,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2026
-
But the series’ central character, played by Rachel Weisz, has enough nervous, itchy, manic energy to make the show’s narrative structure feel purposely unstable rather than safely smug.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
His eyes were on her, inviting her to be proud of his verticality.—
Jonathan Franzen,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
Popovich will undoubtedly be proud, thrilled and probably not too surprised.—
Jared Weiss,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Adjective
-
Of course, for all the high-minded theorizing, there were plenty of more practical discussions of using AI to speed workflows on the back end.—
Cortney Harding,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
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The markets were launched with high-minded ambitions of using the wisdom of the crowd to forecast future events, and help business leaders and politicians make better decisions.—
Semafor Events,
semafor.com,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pretentious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretentious. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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