pretentious (prɪˈtɛnʃəs
)
Definitions
adjective
- making claim to distinction or importance, esp undeservedly
- having or creating a deceptive outer appearance of great worth; ostentatious
Alternative Forms
preˈtentiously adverb preˈtentiousness nounSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
affected,
mannered,
exaggerated,
pompous,
assuming,
hollow,
inflated,
extravagant,
high-flown,
flaunting,
grandiose,
conceited,
showy,
ostentatious,
snobbish,
puffed up,
bombastic,
specious,
grandiloquent,
vainglorious,
high-sounding,
highfalutin,
overambitious,
arty-farty,
magniloquent,
Usage examples
She'd forget that we were both twenty-eight years old, and, in our contrasting ways, each as pretentious as the other.
, Looking For the Spark (1994)Unlike some style-conscious new hotels, there is nothing pretentious about the Cotswold House.
Country Life (2005)What remains is boring and pretentious and yes, of course, visually stunning.
Edmonton Sun (2003)The Emperor declared that films with too much theorising and pretentious ideological ideas were `the bottom of the bottom" in movies.
Independent (1998)I prefer post-viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS) since it isn't so pretentious and its significance can be understood by the layman.
, The Allergy Handbook (1988)