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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pretentious
This upsets Slowik, who then forces the pretentious foodie to cook an impromptu dish in front of everyone.
—
Randall Colburn, EW.com, 1 Feb. 2025
You might get confused, bored, or angry sometimes, or wonder if the exercise was unnecessarily silly or pretentious.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2025
Just a five-minute drive from its glitzy neighbor, this historic chalet village offers a more intimate refuge, allowing visitors to savor the region’s timeless charms without any pretentious frills.
—Monica Mendal, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2025
Many fans understand the phrase to be about a pretentious movie.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretentious
Randall Colburn, EW.com, 1 Feb. 2025
You might get confused, bored, or angry sometimes, or wonder if the exercise was unnecessarily silly or pretentious.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2025
Just a five-minute drive from its glitzy neighbor, this historic chalet village offers a more intimate refuge, allowing visitors to savor the region’s timeless charms without any pretentious frills.
—Monica Mendal, Vogue, 23 Jan. 2025
Many fans understand the phrase to be about a pretentious movie.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 21 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pretentious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretentious
Adjective
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The actor has one daughter with ex-wife Melanie Griffith and has been dating his girlfriend Nicole Kimpel since 2014. 05 of 09 John Lithgow as Lord Farquaad The actor behind the arrogant Lord Farquaad boasts an impressive career that began decades before Shrek came out in 2001.—
Zoey Lyttle,
People.com,
1 Mar. 2025
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Many members of its board appeared arrogant in the face of questions from the prosecutor or one of the lawyers.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
The Athletic,
23 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Still, this adaptation of an O. Henry story tilts all its sympathies toward the outlaw hero the Cisco Kid (Warner Baxter, in a Best Actor–winning role) and away from the pompous white soldier charged with tracking him down.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2025
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And every scene and song featuring the hilarious Eric Anderson as the pompous and preening Union Gen. George B. McClellan is a comic gem.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Cyrus’s early solo-music career was marked by chaos in both persona and output (remember Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz?); her style oscillated with an ostentatious lack of taste, and her music varied wildly between genres.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
20 Feb. 2025
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The question is whether the Oscars can simultaneously indulge in its usual ostentatious glitz.—
Stephen Humphries,
The Christian Science Monitor,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Such a grandiose vision requires numerous trips between Earth and other worlds, driving the desire for reusability.—
Eric Mack,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
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Musk has made grandiose claims about the amount of money DOGE has saved the government, but the math has been filled with errors.—
Angrej Singh,
Axios,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Netflix serves all possible audiences, from high-minded documentary viewers to families that love sitcoms to the biggest fans of the trashiest reality TV.—
PCMAG,
PCMAG,
27 Feb. 2025
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Whether your style leans casual or high-minded, these just-in dresses have all the makings of hero pieces.—
Jake Henry Smith,
Glamour,
26 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Angie Stone was proud to be an Honorary Member of the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
4 Mar. 2025
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Pérez feels Chicagoans should be proud that their city will host the North American premiere of this production.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2025
Articles Related to pretentious
Cite this Entry
“Pretentious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretentious. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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