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
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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 pretentiousness
There’s a pretentiousness that begins to show itself as folks get more comfortable.
—
Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 20 Oct. 2025
Coleman found no pretentiousness in Trafford, and he was not perturbed by the drop in facilities compared to the Etihad Campus.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2025
Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 20 Oct. 2025
Coleman found no pretentiousness in Trafford, and he was not perturbed by the drop in facilities compared to the Etihad Campus.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretentiousness
Noun
-
This propensity for mental acrobatics, alongside his immense arrogance, was how Epstein rationalized his crimes to himself.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Using him comes across as arrogance.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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What existed in the White House was a relative lack of ostentation — formal, but showing occasional signs of wear and tear, proof that this was a People’s House, not a palace.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Formula 1 has Monaco, with its ostentation and air of exclusivity.—
Jonathan Hawkins,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But Lloyd’s awkward staging here and questionable affectations (including an audience clap-along) makes Pozzo’s relationship with Lucky unfocused and puzzling.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
29 Sep. 2025
-
The band sets aside the winks and retro affectations for something unadorned and honest.—
Sarah Grant,
Rolling Stone,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Europeans, including Las Casas initially, claimed superiority as Christians, as most of the Africans Europeans encountered were either Muslim or animist.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Their innovation is to replace the demagogue’s roar with the bureaucrat’s moral superiority.—
Alexis Coe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The pomp and pageantry of the country’s best HBCU basketball tournament was well-displayed, with celebrities like Magic Johnson and LL Cool J hosting parties in uptown Charlotte that drew thousands of attendees.—
Scott Fowler,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Oct. 2025
-
In his pomp, Worthington was recommending Karim Benzema before the world really knew about the Frenchman.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Journalism that explains things clearly, without pretension or jargon.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Oct. 2025
-
But she is best remembered for Keeping Up Appearances and her role as Hyacinth Bucket, a working-class woman with pretensions of social superiority.—
Ryan Schwartz,
TVLine,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In his book, Allen cites several historical and scientific manuscripts from the 1800s that indicate flamboyances of hundreds to thousands were seen in the Everglades, Florida Bay and the Florida Keys.—
Jerome Lorenz,
The Conversation,
14 Oct. 2025
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Borrowing from the flamboyance of the New Romantics, the edginess of punks and the melancholic themes in their music, goth makeup was dark, vampiric, and vaguely dangerous—an aesthetic music fans copied when gathering at goth haunts like the Batcave in London.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Workers in the scam compounds are often trafficked from third countries, usually under the pretense of a lucrative job offer, and then forced to scam people online with investment pitches or romantic ploys.—
Mithil Aggarwal,
NBC news,
23 Oct. 2025
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All of Beaton’s extravagance, artifice and pretence stemmed from him trying to become something he was never born into.—
Hikmat Mohammed,
Footwear News,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pretentiousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretentiousness. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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