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
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Recent Examples of pretentiousness
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
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
Noun
-
That confidence isn’t arrogance.—
Datwon Thomas,
VIBE.com,
6 June 2026
-
As the subtitle promises, their answers are shared with all the vulgarity, pettiness, and arrogance intact.—
Juliet Izon,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
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
-
The atmosphere aligns with the philosophy: no ostentation, no grand production.—
Bill Addison,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The elder Taylor exuded the easy-going charm of a music legend who is free of any airs or affectations.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Slumming with her sister in San Francisco after her life with her Madoff-like ex in New York implodes, Jasmine Francis isn't quite willing to let go of the affectations that come with living in high society.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The successful test not only demonstrates the maturity of the MICA NG program but also highlights France’s commitment to maintaining technological superiority in the rapidly evolving domain of aerial warfare.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
7 June 2026
-
The threshold for superiority has shape-shifted throughout NBA history.—
Joel Lorenzi,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
There aren’t crowds of excited supporters or the pomp of champagne glasses and white tablecloths.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 May 2026
-
But the Dodgers scored a run off Mason Miller (introduced with pomp and video flames on the scoreboard as ‘The Reaper’) in the ninth inning and beat him and the San Diego Padres, 5-4, on Tuesday night.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Adley and his team make great tasting plates first and foremost, but some of the items, like the unmissable chicken wings stuffed with boudin blanc and romesco, act as a cheeky affront to haute cuisine’s pretensions and conventions.—
Colin Wrenn,
Denver Post,
3 June 2026
-
Kids While the lobster is plentiful and the Champagne flows, the St Regis artfully avoids any pretension.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
These flourishes, recalling New York’s Jazz Age flamboyance, give the vast interior its fizz — and will inevitably have value engineers salivating to trim, slice, and simplify.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
8 June 2026
-
Nobody wants to hear this — not Eisenhower, not Krick and definitely not Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery (Damian Lewis, leaning into the flamboyance).—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
For all the Court’s pretenses—all of its insistence on the rule of law, precedent, and good faith—many critics and supporters of the Roberts Court see the institution as an appendage of the Republican Party.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
5 June 2026
-
Garcia-Hernandez was arrested on charges of theft of an elder adult, obtaining money by false pretenses, and attempted grand theft, along with an out-of-county warrant.—
Kassia Bonesteel,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pretentiousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretentiousness. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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