pretentiousness

noun

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

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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pretentiousness Staff members treat patrons like family, a welcome departure from the pretentiousness that sometimes comes with more luxurious bookings. — Joey Skladany, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026 Gabrielle and Katerina credit the enduring appeal of Dan Tana’s to its persistent lack of pretentiousness. — Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026 Advertisement Jones uses his antihero’s blunt self-appraisals to avoid the pretentiousness endemic to stories about artists. — Judy Berman, Time, 2 June 2026 The lack of pretentiousness signals something about who’s welcome there. — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 29 Nov. 2025 There’s a pretentiousness that begins to show itself as folks get more comfortable. — Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 20 Oct. 2025 Coleman found no pretentiousness in Trafford, and he was not perturbed by the drop in facilities compared to the Etihad Campus. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretentiousness
  1. arrogance
  2. ostentation
  3. affectation
  4. superiority
  5. pomp
  6. pretension
  7. flamboyance
  8. pretense
Noun
  • Ilya is looking for work as an assistant, and the professor, with his dandyish nerd arrogance, tells him to look at a paper he’s written and come back in a few days.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
  • This standalone novel looks at the cult of celebrity, the bond among parents and children, entitlement and arrogance, all wrapped into a tightly wound plot that’s an evocative historical steeped in the Great Depression.
    — Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of arrogance
Noun
  • The interiors are relatively forgettable, but in a town marked by ostentation, the crowd counts for more than the surroundings.
    — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The packaging and philosophy emphasize sustainability and collectibility without ostentation, aligning with a growing desire for thoughtful luxury.
    — Tanya Akim, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of ostentation
Noun
  • With rare exceptions, EV sound is little more than an affectation.
    — Byron Hurd, The Drive, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Robinhood's banking product arrived with private-bank affectations, estate planning, event access, cash to the door, priced at $5 a month inside a bundle a 30-year-old already pays for.
    — Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of affectation
Noun
  • Chelsea have huge numerical superiority in their own penalty area as Kevin Schade catapults one in from the Brentford left, but only Cole Palmer is in position to contest any second ball out on its edge.
    — Liam Twomey, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • That result shocked many Germans who had believed their country had developed an immunity to nationalism and assertions of racial superiority after confronting the horrors of its Nazi past through education and laws to prohibit persecution.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of superiority
Noun
  • But for all the pomp and ceremony, China analysts broadly predict the leaders’ personal relationship and policy goals will result in a cautious summit that yields few major deliverables.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The salutation will kick off a three-day visit that's expected to be saturated with pomp, even by White House standards.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of pomp
Noun
  • Their trading volume, political influence and public profiles have expanded — as have their pretensions.
    — W. Joseph Campbell, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Anyone can join this adventure, this surge of solidarity through collective prayer for our world, to put a stop to all the pretensions of evil.
    — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of pretension
Noun
  • Wilde cultivated an unmistakable appearance through his clothing, aestheticism, and flamboyance.
    — William Arruda, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The performance is daringly weird, perverse and outlandish, seductively charming, and, for all the flamboyance, Curry never veers out of control, never takes it too far.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of flamboyance
Noun
  • Conference expansion has shattered pretenses to regional coherence.
    — Geraldo L. Cadava, The Atlantic, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Cinematic pretense and the kinds political leaders and media personalities use to sell ideas are often one and the same.
    — Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of pretense

Browse Nearby Words

pretentiously
pretentiousness
pretermission
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Cite this Entry

“Pretentiousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretentiousness. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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