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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2
as in ostentation
excessive or unnecessary display
the sheer pretentiousness of the debutante's wedding
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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
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Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretentiousness
Noun
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The arrogance and self-importance are off the charts.Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2024
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My arrogance and chronic distraction has created wreckage.Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 3 Oct. 2024
Noun
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As the country continues to grapple with high youth unemployment and troubles in its real estate market, some Chinese shoppers are turning away from ostentation amid the economic uncertainty.Ernestine Siu, CNBC, 16 July 2024
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Though it may be overstated, ostentation is part of what makes the genre a culturally distinct global phenomenon.Julian Randall, Essence, 24 May 2024
Noun
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His eccentricities — once easily dismissed as the affectations of a lonely man — read maniacal.Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024
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Strangely, the results come off as a directorial affectation, a willful cramping of her style.Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Tanton was also drawing closer to Jared Taylor, whose writings about the superiority of white people had earned him a zealous following.Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 19 Oct. 2024
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Regardless, the group's surviving members are still fighting in Gaza despite the ravaging of the strip and Israel's mammoth military superiority.David Brennan, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2024
Noun
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In many cultures, dark reds are associated with pomp, circumstance, and displays of power.Katy Kelleher, refinery29.com, 15 Oct. 2024
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The scenes of pomp and fanfare were a constant throughout the day, which closed with Kim escorting Putin to his plane late in the evening ahead of his trip to Vietnam.Simone McCarthy, CNN, 19 June 2024
Noun
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The chief theme, of course, is art itself, which wafts into pretension all too easily.Stephanie Bunbury, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2024
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The entire project seems more a realization of Guadagnino’s artistic pretensions than anything else.Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 12 Sep. 2024
Noun
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Todd Phillips, a one-time purveyor of boys-will-be-boys frat comedies, can’t seem to embrace the flamboyance of the genre.Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2024
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The performance opened dramatically as Trevi and Becerra stormed the stage exuding confidence and charisma, reminiscent of ABBA’s disco-era flamboyance but with a modern twist.Isabela Raygoza, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Noun
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Therein lies the other critical element of the equation: a lack of pretense and fuss which does not forsake sophistication.Caroline Reilly, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2024
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Legislation against sagging—modern morality ordinances, passed in municipalities in states such as New Jersey, Illinois, and Michigan, and across the South—became a possible pretense for arrests.Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near pretentiousness
Cite this Entry
“Pretentiousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretentiousness. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.
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