variants
also hifalutin
1
as in rhetoric
full of fine words and fancy expressions
his highfalutin paean to the working class failed to win over a crowd that wanted to hear down-to-earth proposals for economic relief
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude
her highfalutin relatives from New York made the snide remark that her little house "has that lived-in look"
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in superior
having or displaying feelings of scorn for what is regarded as beneath oneself
refused to be intimidated by the highfalutin manner of the sales staff in the fashionable boutique
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in smug
self-consciously trying to present an appearance of grandeur or importance
"fine Southern cuisine" sounds a bit highfalutin for a barbecue shack
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of highfalutin
The general idea is: creative cocktail lounge minus all the highfalutin fuss.
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David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 11 July 2024
Whitmer makes her case in less than 160 pages with almost no highfalutin language.
—Amanda Uhle, Washington Post, 9 July 2024
Offerman brings a great counterpoint to these highfalutin words with his innate buff-dude physicality.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 19 Apr. 2024
The way his vivid, relatable characters discuss the big questions, with so much soul and hang-looseness, free from any highfalutin airs, has long been something of a north star for me as a movie lover and as a talker.
—David Marchese, New York Times, 1 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for highfalutin 
David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 11 July 2024
Whitmer makes her case in less than 160 pages with almost no highfalutin language.
—Amanda Uhle, Washington Post, 9 July 2024
Offerman brings a great counterpoint to these highfalutin words with his innate buff-dude physicality.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 19 Apr. 2024
The way his vivid, relatable characters discuss the big questions, with so much soul and hang-looseness, free from any highfalutin airs, has long been something of a north star for me as a movie lover and as a talker.
—David Marchese, New York Times, 1 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for highfalutin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for highfalutin
Adjective
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Some media outlets are surrendering to Trump already This absurd boasting — arrogant without portfolio — is just what Trump is looking for in the VOA job.Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 13 Dec. 2024
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Angle was able to alter between arrogant heel and lovable goofball almost on a whim.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Fried, who turns 31 on Jan. 18, is the superior pitcher, but three times better?Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic, 15 Dec. 2024
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This innovative layout allows for powerful torque and superior handling, even for vehicles exceeding 13 feet in length.Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, Fox News, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Yet the people posting vitriolic comments about Thompson feel justified in being smug about the death of this human in particular.Aja Romano, Vox, 7 Dec. 2024
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If Dani hadn’t shown up looking dreadfully smug, Helen could have gotten on with her morning and done her bit to prevent a war.Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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From a purely political perspective, such a OLC memo offers an order of magnitude upgrade in its rhetorical power.Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
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For many, the question of whether screening Rust was even a good idea stands purely rhetorical.Nick Newman, Vulture, 20 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Though Willis and Moore have both gone on to remarry (and divorce, for Moore's part) Willis' relationship with his ex continues to be an important one.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2024
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The county’s privatization debate will be important but also slow-moving.Randall Stephenson, Chicago Tribune, 8 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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As of this week, there’s even a new Glossier product on the block sure to make Emily Weiss proud, a chubby eye shadow stick that’s excellent for accentuating even the most natural of makeup looks.Kiana Murden, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2024
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Funny Christmas jokes for kids, knock-knocks, memes to make dad proud How to prepare for winter 2024 — from freezing pipes to driving in snow and ice Who created Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer?Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez, The Courier-Journal, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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At first, the girls are only in danger of being forced to listen to one man’s extremely pretentious opinions about religion, philosophy, culture, and yes, pop music, which is terrifying in itself.Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 7 Nov. 2024
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Co-founder and master distiller Andy Wahl grew up in wine country, in California’s Sonoma County, and felt that the fine wines harvested in the region were pretentious and inaccessible.John Kell, Forbes, 20 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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That’s why many of crypto’s more cavalier coders headed to other blockchains to tinker and do things like build decentralized applications.MacKenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 25 Nov. 2024
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Lucas was shocked and hurt that his generous offers kept being rebuffed; the people who organized against him were indignant that a billionaire could be so cavalier about their public land.Elizabeth Blackwell, Longreads, 14 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Highfalutin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/highfalutin. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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