pretentiousness

noun

1
as in arrogance
an exaggerated sense of one's importance that shows itself in the making of excessive or unjustified claims everyone took her ingrained pretentiousness into account when considering her statements

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2
as in ostentation
excessive or unnecessary display the sheer pretentiousness of the debutante's wedding

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in affectation
the quality or state of appearing or trying to appear more important or more valuable than is the case the utter pretentiousness of the movie is matched only by the incomprehensibility of its story

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 pretentiousness Gabrielle and Katerina credit the enduring appeal of Dan Tana’s to its persistent lack of pretentiousness. — Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026 Advertisement Jones uses his antihero’s blunt self-appraisals to avoid the pretentiousness endemic to stories about artists. — Judy Berman, Time, 2 June 2026 There's no pretentiousness or rigid formality, but the service, food, and wine are top-notch. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 May 2026 The lack of pretentiousness signals something about who’s welcome there. — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 29 Nov. 2025 There’s a pretentiousness that begins to show itself as folks get more comfortable. — Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 20 Oct. 2025 Coleman found no pretentiousness in Trafford, and he was not perturbed by the drop in facilities compared to the Etihad Campus. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretentiousness
  1. arrogance
  2. ostentation
  3. affectation
  4. superiority
  5. pomp
  6. pretension
  7. flamboyance
  8. pretense
Noun
  • His crippling, his stubborn arrogance and refusal to be humbled, has somehow humanized the spoiled brat king.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • Except the brash arrogance that long lived behind the slogan has taken a bit of a hit in recent years.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
Definition of arrogance
Noun
  • The packaging and philosophy emphasize sustainability and collectibility without ostentation, aligning with a growing desire for thoughtful luxury.
    — Tanya Akim, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • While Vico has been careful to avoid any kind of ostentation, Argentaia offers a spa, a tennis court, a stunning 100-foot saltwater infinity pool overlooking the valley, and a movie theater.
    — Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 22 May 2026
Definition of ostentation
Noun
  • The steering wheel is flat at the top and bottom—a race-car affectation that feels correct in here—and has a button for the Boost function and another to adjust the aero, but is otherwise refreshingly simple.
    — Jason Barlow, Robb Report, 7 July 2026
  • In the wrong hands, those points of reference could land like an affectation, but instead, the band’s embrace of them feels genuine.
    — Nick Laskin, Pitchfork, 20 May 2026
Definition of affectation
Noun
  • By vilifying others, Marx could use moral superiority to legally steal from those who had more.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 9 July 2026
  • We are encouraged to indulge our delusions about replacement theory and white male superiority and to surrender to our instincts toward incivility and division.
    — Dawn M. Turner, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
Definition of superiority
Noun
  • This is a charming center-of-town property with tons of old-school pomp.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 July 2026
  • In a tunnel as both teams prepared to take the pitch for the pomp of the two national anthems, out of view of the crowd, Norwegian star Erling Haaland was hugging or dapping his opponents.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 12 July 2026
Definition of pomp
Noun
  • At 61, unaligned to any party faction and with no pretensions to the highest office, the Scot would represent little threat to Burnham.
    — Ian King, CNBC, 15 July 2026
  • Impartial, fact-finding and without pretension, Burns turns his camera to our history in a sober-but-not-boring manner.
    — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 29 June 2026
Definition of pretension
Noun
  • Emma’s resistance to the bland wholesomeness of recovery spaces speaks to a familiar cultural trope across media, in films and television shows; that sobriety is where flamboyance goes to die.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
  • Since then, flamboyances of flamingos—the collective noun for the birds—have competed with oranges to symbolize the state.
    — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 6 July 2026
Definition of flamboyance
Noun
  • Everything else is pretense; the diplomat is pretense; the Hand of the King, there’s a level of pretense; Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, there’s a level of pretense.
    — Matt Minton, Variety, 20 July 2026
  • When Moore finally abandons the pretense and focuses in earnest on his presidential ambitions, the damage to Maryland will be incalculable and likely irreparable.
    — Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 18 July 2026
Definition of pretense

Browse Nearby Words

pretentiously
pretentiousness
pretermission
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Cite this Entry

“Pretentiousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretentiousness. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of pretentiousness for Spanish Speakers

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