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
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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
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Recent Examples of pretentiousness
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
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
Noun
-
This propensity for mental acrobatics, alongside his immense arrogance, was how Epstein rationalized his crimes to himself.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Using him comes across as arrogance.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
What existed in the White House was a relative lack of ostentation — formal, but showing occasional signs of wear and tear, proof that this was a People’s House, not a palace.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Formula 1 has Monaco, with its ostentation and air of exclusivity.—
Jonathan Hawkins,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The way Koko is received for her affectation is part of what’s frustrating to watch, too.—
Jihan Forbes,
Allure,
29 Oct. 2025
-
In retrospect, Kinetta feels like a dry run for Lanthimos, with all the droll affectation of his later provocations but little of the allegorical power or lunatic comedy that would distinguish them.—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
These are the questions that have plagued the American public since the Euphoria and Anyone But You actor dared to gesture toward a blatant superiority as one of the most notable hot people right now.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The pact is aimed at securing an edge over China in the race for tech superiority, Bloomberg noted.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The pomp and pageantry of the country’s best HBCU basketball tournament was well-displayed, with celebrities like Magic Johnson and LL Cool J hosting parties in uptown Charlotte that drew thousands of attendees.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Oct. 2025
-
In his pomp, Worthington was recommending Karim Benzema before the world really knew about the Frenchman.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Journalism that explains things clearly, without pretension or jargon.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Oct. 2025
-
But she is best remembered for Keeping Up Appearances and her role as Hyacinth Bucket, a working-class woman with pretensions of social superiority.—
Ryan Schwartz,
TVLine,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
DaCosta films it all with a ferociously cinematic flamboyance, banishing any charges of staginess.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
-
In his book, Allen cites several historical and scientific manuscripts from the 1800s that indicate flamboyances of hundreds to thousands were seen in the Everglades, Florida Bay and the Florida Keys.—
Jerome Lorenz,
The Conversation,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
His memoir told of workhouse guards beating prisoners on the least pretense, and of one guard who regularly shoved prisoners down flights of stairs.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime said in a May report that women from more than 20 African countries had been recruited under false pretences to make drones for Russia’s war.—
Reuters 16 hr ago,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pretentiousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretentiousness. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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