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pretentiously

adverb

as in pompously

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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 pretentiously What can be said about the Kalimotxo that hasn’t been pretentiously asserted by an undergraduate who just learned about it? — Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretentiously
  1. pompously
  2. ostentatiously
  3. impressively
  4. magnificently
Adverb
  • Texas is taking it to a new level, pompously trying to single-handedly keep Republican control of the House after the 2026 midterms.
    — Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 7 Aug. 2025
Definition of pompously
Adverb
  • Bryan Fuller’s expressionistic procedural is ostentatiously gruesome, yes, but the increasingly disturbing interplay between Will and Hannibal — cat and mouse, will-they/won’t they — is a full course meal on its own.
    — Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Apr. 2026
  • In her closet were seven Ungaros, three Rykiels, a Kamali bathing suit and a Kamali sleeping-bag coat, five Kenzo dresses, two pieces from the Ballets Russes collection of Saint Laurent—all of which were trades or payments in kind, none of them mothballed, but instead worn ostentatiously and often.
    — Han Ong, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
Definition of ostentatiously
Adverb
  • Its ships impressively roam the globe, with sailings from seven to 244 days across all continents.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
  • All the cookies are impressively big and one of the best deals in town.
    — Kayla Samoy, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of impressively
Adverb
  • In a dangerous time, Heather Cox Richardson has upheld those values magnificently.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Hüller is mesmerizing in what initially feels like a silent-film performance, magnificently expressive and physical, before the emotional wallop of the final act.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of magnificently

Browse Nearby Words

pretentious
pretentiously
pretentiousness
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Cite this Entry

“Pretentiously.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretentiously. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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