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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 pretentious
Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 17 May 2026
Drenched in designer labels and working at the house of Christian Dior, Blunt’s Emily has become the pretentious partner of a billionaire tech mogul played by Justin Theroux, sources said.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 23 Apr. 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
In his Lipton impression, Ferrell stared down his celebrity guests while asking them intense and pretentious questions.
—Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 17 May 2026
Drenched in designer labels and working at the house of Christian Dior, Blunt’s Emily has become the pretentious partner of a billionaire tech mogul played by Justin Theroux, sources said.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 23 Apr. 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
-
The passage is incoherent, yet, in conflating progressive reform with arrogant blind faith, it is perfectly suited to Vance’s cynical conservatism.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
19 June 2026
-
To no one’s surprise, Bonnie is immediately transfixed by her Lilypad (voiced by Greta Lee, whose arrogant smarm effectively threads the needle between Maya Hawke’s Anxiety and Regina George’s everything else).—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
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.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
The usually pompous Victory Day Parade in Moscow on May 9th had to be pared down for fear of Ukrainian drones.—
Natasha Lindstaedt,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2026
Adjective
-
In the week ahead, some hard realities of the office have threatened to overshadow the ostentatious UFC mixed martial arts extravaganza, where combatants sealed inside a wire-mesh octagon try to punch, kick, chop and pummel each other into submission.—
Will Weissert,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
-
This week, the hard realities of the office have threatened to overshadow the ostentatious UFC mixed martial arts extravaganza, where combatants sealed inside a wire-mesh octagon try to punch, kick, chop and pummel each other into submission.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
Particularly when those celebrations involve more grandiose demonstrations of patriotism, or are organized by someone who doesn't share their political ideology or belief system.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
16 June 2026
-
For the 2026 edition, by far the biggest in the competition’s 96-year history, even that grandiose billing is nothing like bombastic enough.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
Most smug articles and books that claim to provide quick fixes come off as tone-deaf or even counterproductive.—
Anna Holmes,
The Atlantic,
27 May 2026
-
But the series’ central character, played by Rachel Weisz, has enough nervous, itchy, manic energy to make the show’s narrative structure feel purposely unstable rather than safely smug.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
Adjective
-
Mamdani, proud of his socialist values, had developed a language for communicating a collective, interdependent vision of city life through his consistent emphasis on affordability.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
-
This is also where the film dips into the past and becomes awash in the proud history of Hawaiian surfing, bowing at the legend of the great Duke Kahanamoku and going deep into others and how the sport became such a religion for many, notably devotee Kristen.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
22 June 2026
Adjective
-
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.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
16 June 2026
-
Considerably more sympathetic to her plight is Melanie Saunders (Graynor), a high-minded acting teacher whose intensive Act One studio Hannah chances upon while researching her favorite young actress, Gracie Thomas (Tavi Gevinson), online.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pretentious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretentious. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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