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
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Most are due to unnecessary escalation, creating disengagement, authoritative behaviors, arrogance and ego.—
Joao Mendes-Roter,
Forbes.com,
27 Mar. 2025 -
Musk’s casual Friday attire just shows his arrogance and disrespect for American government.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The pink-and-brown mansion, often considered a monument to Roaring 20s ostentation, stretches from Lake Worth to the Atlantic Ocean and contains 58 bedrooms, 33 bathrooms, three bomb shelters, a theater, a ballroom and a nine-hole golf course.—
Miami Herasld Archives,
Miami Herald,
7 Jan. 2025
-
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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Ivy-as-Marilyn is an inconsiderate, amphetamine guzzling faux-intellectual whose devotion to the acting craft is presented as a vainglorious affectation.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
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The interaction between Briony and Jamie starts off amiably, with Jamie needling Briony for her posh affectations.—
Doreen St. Félix,
The New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The hypocrisies of what might be called humanity’s delusions of superiority suggest the need for deeper questioning.—
Billy J. Stratton,
The Conversation,
7 Apr. 2025
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His superiority was self-evident, like the rays of the sun.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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No other professional sport treats its opening day with as much pomp and ceremony as baseball, in which flashbacks of openers from the past are always most welcome.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2025
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But behind the Cold War pomp and propaganda, Camp Century formed a testing ground for a clandestine mission known as Project Iceworm.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN,
15 Mar. 2025
Noun
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This was the night that any pretensions over Arsenal possessing the requisite firepower to compete on four fronts were put to bed.—
Jordan Campbell,
The Athletic,
7 Jan. 2025
-
There were no pretensions of showmanship, no displays of braggadocio — just the hollow ringing of palms on goatskin.—
Taran Dugal,
Rolling Stone,
16 Dec. 2024
Noun
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As luxury fashion began to tilt toward flamboyance and logo-happy flash, the Meiers were unafraid to show something as stark as pencil-straight dark trousers with a white button-up.—
Jacob Gallagher,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2025
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That’s why the two-level Red Katz has the allure of a Parisian brasserie, the flamboyance of a 1930s New York City speakeasy and a mouthwatering menu that beautifully blends their Asian roots and French epicureanism.—
Lily Templeton,
WWD,
27 Jan. 2025
Noun
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For more about how to instruct generative AI on doing pretenses, also known as personas, see my discussion at the link here.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
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No pretense, just genuine passion for scent and storytelling.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
14 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Pretentiousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretentiousness. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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