pretentiousness

1 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 assumption, bumptiousness, consequence, haughtiness, hauteur, high horse, huffiness, imperiousness, loftiness, lordliness, masterfulness, peremptoriness, pomposity, pompousness, presumptuousness, pretense (or pretence), pretension, arrogance, self-consequence, self-importance, superciliousness, superiority, toploftinessRelated Words authoritativeness, bossiness, bowwow, brag, dominance, high-handedness; condescension, disdain, scorn; chest-thumping, inflation, self-assertion, side [chiefly British], snobbery, snobbishness, snobbism, snootiness; attitude, cheek, cheekiness, impertinence, impudence, sauciness; boastfulness, bombast, braggadocio, bravado, strut, swagger, triumphalism, vaingloriousness, vainglory; cockiness, complacence, conceit, egoism, egotism, pride, pridefulness, self-assumption, self-centeredness, self-complacency, self-conceit, self-content, self-contentment, self-opinion, self-partiality, self-satisfaction, smugness, swelled head, vanity; superiority complexNear Antonyms bashfulness, demureness, retiringness, shyness; diffidence, self-distrust, self-doubt, timidity, timidness; lowliness, meekness, mousiness, passiveness, passivity, submissiveness; quietness, reserve, reservednessAntonyms humility, modesty, unassumingness, unpretentiousness

2 excessive or unnecessary display the sheer pretentiousness of the debutante's wedding Synonyms flamboyance, flash, flashiness, garishness, gaudiness, glitz, ostentatiousness, ostentation, showiness, swankRelated Words pretense (or pretence); éclat, extravaganza, mummery, pageant, parade, show; dazzle, fanfare, foofaraw, pageantry, pomp, razzle-dazzle, razzmatazz, spectacle; adornment, decoration, dressing, embellishment, garnishment, ornamentation, trimming; extravagance, fanciness, luxuriance, luxuriousness, magnificence, opulence, richness, sumptuousness; luridness; meretriciousness, tawdriness, vulgarityNear Antonyms conservativeness, moderation, modesty, restraint, simplicity, understatement; elegance, gracefulness, tastefulness; minimalismAntonyms austerity, plainness, severity

3 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 affectation, affectedness, grandiosity, inflation, pretension, pretenseRelated Words arrogance, bumptiousness, complacency, conceit, egotism, hauteur, imperiousness, pompousness, presumptuousness, pride, self-aggrandizement, self-assertion, self-assumption, self-conceit, self-consequence, self-glorification, self-importance, self-satisfaction, smugness, vaingloriousness, vainglory, vainness, vanity; disdain, haughtiness, lordliness, snobbery, snobbishness, superciliousness, superiority; confidence, presumption, self-assurance, self-confidence, sureness; boastfulness, braggadocio; aggressiveness, assertiveness, audaciousness, boldness, brassiness, cheekiness, cockiness, forwardness, impudence, insolence, rudeness; grandiloquence; flamboyance, flashiness, garishness, gaudiness, glitz, mummery, ostentation, ostentatiousness, show, showinessNear Antonyms demureness, down-to-earthness, humbleness, humility, lowliness, meekness, modesty; bashfulness, diffidence, shyness, timidity; naturalness, sincerity