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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
  • But while that might suggest arrogance, Dawson’s answer to another question reflects humility.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Aemond, too, for that matter, while Daemon’s arrogance continues to get Team Black into all sorts of predicaments.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 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
  • Robinhood's banking product arrived with private-bank affectations, estate planning, event access, cash to the door, priced at $5 a month inside a bundle a 30-year-old already pays for.
    — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Bret, who narrates the series with snooty affectation, is primarily parentless, with mom and dad gallivanting around Europe.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of affectation
Noun
  • Across a few overs, Cox was guilty of trying to steer a fifth stump line into the leg side, drawn in by the vacant space, but also his own apparent superiority over the bowler.
    — Ben Jones, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Unlike his predecessors, Fedorov publicly laid out a strategy to defeat Russia through attrition and technological superiority.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of superiority
Noun
  • No pomp, no circumstance, no celebrity— this is the sticky ground floor of the nation’s country music scene.
    — Jacqueline Kehoe, Midwest Living, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Bonanno, one of its original members, is said to have eschewed the pomp and public appearances of his contemporaries and remained a low-profile figure into the 1950s.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of pomp
Noun
  • The genre, with its sanitized storylines and Oscar-baiting pretensions, seems fundamentally at odds with the iconoclastic chef and television personality.
    — Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Like Paul Schrader’s 1982 version of the latter, this is an upscale genre piece whose pretensions towards Art are upfront, starting with a quotation from no less than Schopenhauer.
    — Dennis Harvey, Variety, 30 July 2026
Definition of pretension
Noun
  • Gloria is a user, a poseur extraordinaire; her fluttery flamboyance, rooted in insecurity, summons another Gloria, the one from Sunset Blvd.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
  • And there was Erling Haaland living his best Norwegian life, terrifying on the pitch and absurd off it, multiplying his stardom with a flamboyance and humor that didn’t detract from his serious talent.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of flamboyance
Noun
  • Every horror series at some point has to reset — to drop the pretense that the audience knows or remembers its world, its characters, and its rules, and to start anew with characters who need everything explained to them.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The food is stellar, as is the service, but there isn’t a shred of pretence about any of it.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 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 26 Aug. 2026.

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