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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ostentation
excessive or unnecessary display
the sheer pretentiousness of the debutante's wedding
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretentiousness
Noun
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The lines between competitive stubbornness and plain old stubbornness, a healthy arrogance and prideful ignorance are pretty thin.—
Will Graves,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 June 2025 -
Individuals with big egos display excessive pride in their abilities and accomplishments, often leading to arrogance and overconfidence.—
AllBusiness,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Noun
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As high heels become less of a requisite in certain arenas, the Cannes red carpet — whose ostentation is rivaled only by the Met Gala or the Oscars — is something of a final frontier.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
24 May 2025
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The mansion, often considered a monument to Roaring ‘20s ostentation, stretches from the Intracoastal to the Atlantic Ocean.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
7 Jan. 2025
Noun
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From our review: Tessa Van den Broeck, a newcomer, plays Julie with zero affectation.—
The New York Times,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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No fussy affectations, just a deliberate tamping down of his more charismatic qualities.—
A.A. Dowd,
Rolling Stone,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Beijing’s military capabilities already surpass India’s, and given its lower defense burden—the ratio of military expenditures to GDP—China could expand its defense spending with fewer penalties to its economic growth compared with India while further widening its military superiority.—
ASHLEY J. TELLIS,
Foreign Affairs,
17 June 2025
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Dad, as fathers do, asserted his physical superiority.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
17 June 2025
Noun
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This exceptional career conversion rate is all the more impressive given that Messi wasn’t especially prolific from free kicks in his early years after breaking into the Barcelona first team in 2004-05, with Ronaldinho, then in his swaggering pomp, understandably the team’s primary taker.—
Conor O'Neill,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
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The service on June 16 came two days after the magnificent celebration of pomp and pageantry at Trooping the Colour, which saw the royal family unite in their military splendor and finery.—
Simon Perry,
People.com,
16 June 2025
Noun
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Venis, as the one who’s opened the Pandora’s box, is also a mirror version of OpenAI’s Sam Altman, minus Altman’s pretensions to caution.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
4 June 2025
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And often next to Ed, holding a single malt, there would be an unsmiling writer of great pretension looking down at you from a great height.—
Gary Shteyngart,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2025
Noun
-
In a sport reputed for its flamboyance, Malinin speaks the non-verbal language of charisma.—
Marcus Thompson II,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
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Their taboo-breaking flamboyance — including playful moments on stage, sometimes even kissing each other on screen as a symbol of their camaraderie — adds a theatrical flair to their shows that captivates.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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World & Nation Sean Combs’ inner circle reveals a world of guns, abuse, kidnapping and death threats May 28, 2025 The federal indictment alleges that Combs and his associates lured female victims, often under the pretense of a romantic relationship.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
17 June 2025
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Tiron Alexander, 35, was convicted by a federal jury of wire fraud and entering a secure area of an airport by false pretenses on June 5, according to a press release by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida.—
Pilar Arias,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Pretentiousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretentiousness. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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