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
Relevance
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretentiousness
Noun
-
Payton approached the quarterback vacancy with arrogance.—
Troy Renck,
The Denver Post,
21 Feb. 2025 -
How narcissism and exclusion fuel one another Narcissists often display disruptive behaviors in social settings, such as aggression or arrogance, that increase the likelihood of others distancing themselves over time.—
Julianna Bragg,
CNN,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
As with Yamamoto-san’s suit, my comfort and pleasure would be the biggest factors here; there would be no room for ostentation.—
Gary Shteyngart,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2025
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The mansion, often considered a monument to Roaring ‘20s ostentation, stretches from the Intracoastal to the Atlantic Ocean.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
7 Jan. 2025
Noun
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From frame one, Bob Dylan, the creation, the idea, the trickster, the lone wolf, without attitude or affectation, your Dylan was no imitation.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
12 Feb. 2025
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In a transfixing performance that balances colorful affectation with raw hunger, the actor makes Lee a magnetic raconteur whose shield of worldly composure falls away as Eugene (Drew Starkey) eludes his grasp, leaving him a virtual ghost by the end of the film.—
Kimberly Nordyke,
The Hollywood Reporter,
22 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
American liberal internationalism, with its innate (and intellectually unavoidable) belief in the goodness and moral superiority of Western democracy in general, and the United States in particular, makes this form of empathy far harder to achieve.—
Anatol Lieven,
Harper's Magazine,
19 Feb. 2025
-
Release Date Confirmed: Your Schedule For The Newest iPhone These results underscore MEG’s superiority but also highlight challenges.—
Luis E. Romero,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
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And too much pomp, of the sort that is inextricable from a victory lap like this one, can threaten to kill the anarchic spirit of a show that thrives on spontaneity.—
Judy Berman,
TIME,
17 Feb. 2025
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The rowdy pomp and ceremony that accompanies a wedding march, meanwhile, is pointedly shown as not all that different from the film’s funeral processions — each soundtracked by the juddering snap and pop of cheap firecrackers.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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So often a potential title decider, the only team here that have title pretensions are Liverpool.—
Andy Jones,
The Athletic,
18 Feb. 2025
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There’s no pretension or judgment here, but nearly everything is pleasing to the eye.—
Devorah Lev-Tov,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Hollander, hemmed in by more famous portrayals of Capote, emphasizes Truman’s vocal tics and sashaying flamboyance, delivering a performance that’s compellingly mousy and wounded but misses the opportunity to open more of the character’s vulnerability.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
1 Feb. 2024
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Meanwhile, the always captivating Dafoe, at one point wearing full armor, exhibits a not atypical, full-bodied macho flamboyance as a man who regrets not having a son.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
27 Jan. 2025
Noun
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These are typically hogwash for multiple reasons, not least of which is the combination of ideological bias with the pretense of ideological neutrality.—
Dan McLaughlin,
National Review,
18 Feb. 2025
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Instead, these conflicts were entered into under the pretense of strengthening national security or spreading democracy.—
Brendan Rascius,
Miami Herald,
7 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Pretentiousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretentiousness. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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