1
as in arrogant
self-consciously trying to present an appearance of grandeur or importance
that pretentious couple always serves caviar at their parties, even though they themselves dislike it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in superior
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude
a pretentious author whose books only appeal to equally pretentious readers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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2
as in ostentation
excessive or unnecessary display
the sheer pretentiousness of the debutante's wedding
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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
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Recent Examples of pretentious
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Service is polished but not pretentious.
—
Irene S. Levine,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for pretentious
Adjective
Set the scene Sexy without being pretentious and bold without the brashness, Il Sereno is a lesson in artful restraint.
—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Service is polished but not pretentious.
—
Irene S. Levine,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Noun
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
See All Example Sentences for pretentious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretentious
Adjective
-
West Germany, arrogant attitude adjusted, pounded Chile, 4-1.
-
Lasso, in his initial introduction to audiences, wasn’t the warm, pun-loving, inspirational coach audiences would eventually embrace through Apple +, but a slightly arrogant buffoon parodying the average American sports fan.
Adjective
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Among them a City boy wearing three Fit-Bit-type devices, two beautiful Middle Eastern sisters, an outrageously pompous elderly American (sorry; eavesdropping), and several Imelda Marcos lookalikes, tottering out of the treatment rooms with, somehow, their elaborate hairstyles still intact.
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The usually pompous Victory Day Parade in Moscow on May 9th had to be pared down for fear of Ukrainian drones.
Adjective
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Kainerugaba’s associates describe him as a dedicated military officer who often eschews ostentatious displays of wealth.
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Decorated with cool gray tones, marble and leather accents, and crisp white bedding, the rooms feel upscale but not ostentatious.
Adjective
-
While not quite so grandiose, Valdez says discussions are ongoing regarding the bird’s future.
-
Twenty-six years later, Kaufman was tapped to score indie developer Yacht Club Games’s Mina the Hollower, a throwback to the look and feel of 8-bit GBC games but with the type of colossal world, grandiose story, and elaborate gameplay typically reserved to the Soulsborne games.
Adjective
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Historian Sandgruber describes how Alois Hitler wrote his 1895 letters in a deeply smug, anti-clerical manner that overestimated his abilities.
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Li at times plays Cola with a smug impetuousness that belies her naivety about this world to a satisfying degree.
Adjective
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Swift will either ignore the noise as usual, or smile at the absurdity as a secure, proud childless cat lady.
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Looking back, Fox is proud to be part of such a perennial classic.
Adjective
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Moreover, the average person seeing a super PAC ad will not know what was in those filings, but will simply see the high-minded sounding name of the PAC.
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These are not the times for high-minded prestige series that require active viewing to appreciate every nuance, nor for thrillers and comedies exciting enough to quicken the pulse.
Cite this Entry
“Pretentious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretentious. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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