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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of highfalutin
In the highfalutin world of fine art, labels matter.
—
Chadd Scott, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
This sounds so highfalutin, but whatever.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2025
Newsom, for all his highfalutin rhetoric about championing all Californians, just can’t quit the gentry and the insiders who have made his career.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024
The Corbet profile recently published in the New Yorker mentioned his highfalutin reading list, which includes László Krasznahorkai (the source of Béla Tarr’s Werckmeister Harmonies) and Oswald Spengler — taste that runs toward the dystopian and melancholic.
—Armond White, National Review, 31 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for highfalutin
Chadd Scott, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
This sounds so highfalutin, but whatever.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2025
Newsom, for all his highfalutin rhetoric about championing all Californians, just can’t quit the gentry and the insiders who have made his career.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024
The Corbet profile recently published in the New Yorker mentioned his highfalutin reading list, which includes László Krasznahorkai (the source of Béla Tarr’s Werckmeister Harmonies) and Oswald Spengler — taste that runs toward the dystopian and melancholic.
—Armond White, National Review, 31 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for highfalutin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for highfalutin
Adjective
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Richard was known for being outspoken, if not arrogant, consistently rubbing his Tagi tribe the wrong way and offending some of them with his blatant display of nudity on the island.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
27 May 2025
-
Multiple people described him to me as unpopular and arrogant.—
Amanda Chicago Lewis,
Harpers Magazine,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
While the screen compares surprisingly well with the Steam Deck OLED, the Steam Deck supports HDR in addition to the superior OLED panel, which the Legion Go S does not.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
7 June 2025
-
If quality depth is the standard, the Big 12 is superior to the ACC.—
Jon Wilner,
Mercury News,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
Twenty-three years of a smug, smarmy host, and a bunch of sportswriters desperate for sound bites and attention.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2025
-
There’s the divorced couple maintaining their relationship for their children; the happy and occasionally smug monogamist; the man who prefers not to commit; the woman who can’t decide.—
Alissa Wilkinson,
New York Times,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
Differences of opinion between economists, scorekeepers and analysts are commonplace, as are the heated rhetorical attacks lobbed at the Congressional Budget Office.—
Phil Mattingly,
CNN Money,
4 June 2025
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However, that evolution remains more rhetorical than structural, at least for now.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
What’s important now for the new generation that’s entering the workforce – as well as existing workers – is not to operate out of fear of AI, Patel advised.—
Joe McKendrick,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
-
The intelligence teams gather during interviews preceding testing is just as important, if not more so.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
They were thanked for coming by loyal Canadians, clearly proud of their head of state.—
Simon Perry,
People.com,
27 May 2025
-
At Ferrara, which has a long, proud history of making candy in Chicago, the business outlook is still positive, according to Greg Guidotti, chief marketing officer.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
27 May 2025
Adjective
-
Wine doesn’t have to be pretentious or complicated.—
Liz Thach,
Forbes.com,
7 May 2025
-
Trust the French to come up with the most pretentious word in the dictionary.—
Dwight Garner,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Vance was similarly cavalier about the Administration’s noncompliance with court orders—and even about the fact that Abrego Garcia, convicted of no crime in the United States or El Salvador, has been imprisoned indefinitely.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
25 May 2025
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Meet my very good boys (pictured): Scooter is a nine-year-old cavapoo (cavalier King Charles spaniel and poodle mix).—
Kathy Barnes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Highfalutin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/highfalutin. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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