All words

pretentious

Meaning

Having or exhibiting an exaggerated sense of one's own importance, abilities, or status, often through outward display or affected behavior.

Examples by difficulty

Basic: Simple, everyday vocabulary — the easiest to read.

Though Mark was always friendly, some people found him pretentious. He spoke about his trips and fancy meals as if they were more special than they really were. It seemed like he was always trying to impress others by acting more important than he actually was.

He bragged about his "rare" coin collection, but everyone knew it was just junk. His whole act felt so pretentious, like he thought he was so much better than us. We all rolled our eyes, knowing he just wanted to seem important.

Jake rolled his eyes as Marcus droned on about his expensive wine collection, dropping French names and tasting notes. His pretentious lecture made everyone at the dinner party shift uncomfortably, wishing he would just stop trying to sound important and actually enjoy the evening.

At the dinner party, Tom wore a cape and spoke in fake French, hoping everyone would think he was important. But his friends just laughed, realizing he was being pretentious—trying to impress them by acting like he was a big deal when really he just ate too much cheese.

Barnaby, wearing a monocle he'd found in a cereal box, declared his toast tasted like "unobtainable, sun-kissed ambrosia." He was clearly attempting to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than was actually possessed, especially since the toast was burnt.

Normal: Standard, everyday language.

Pretentiousness can be seen as an attempt to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than is actually possessed. This can be done through a number of behavior patterns, including speaking in a high-pitched or inflated tone, being boastful or overbearing, or making grandiose claims. Pretentious people may feel that they need to put on a show or appear knowledgeable in order to be respected, and may view their actions as necessary for their own self-esteem.

A pretentious person is often times trying to impress others with their importance or merit, when in reality, they don't actually possess it. This can come across as arrogance or being self-absorbed, and is generally not appreciated.

Pretentious artists often behave like they are better than everyone else, which only leads to them feeling insecure. They should just relax and enjoy their work, without putting themselves above others.

Most people are pretentious when they try to be important or show off their knowledge. This kind of behavior is usually irritating and can be avoided by being humble and carrying yourself with a less formal tone.

For Doctor X, pretentious means always putting on a facade of being more knowledgeable than she actually is. She goes out of her way to appear old school and intellegent, even if it means making patients feel uncomfortable. Her patients often feel like they're dealing with someone who is completely out of touch with reality.

Advanced: Richer vocabulary that stretches an upper-level reader.

Many people found the new manager pretentious because he constantly talked about expensive restaurants and rare wines, as if those things made him more important. His efforts to seem of greater importance often made others uncomfortable during meetings and left the team feeling disconnected from him.

He spoke of his minor accomplishments with such elaborate phrasing, it was clear he was attempting to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than was actually possessed. His whole demeanor felt rather pretentious, as if he believed he were an undiscovered genius.

At the gallery opening, Marcus adjusted his designer glasses and droned on about avant-garde techniques, his voice laden with an affected sophistication that made Sarah suppress a cringe. His pretentious monologue about obscure artists revealed more about his desperate need to appear intellectual than any genuine artistic insight.

Oliver strutted into the café, wearing a velvet cape and quoting Shakespeare loudly for all to hear, hoping everyone would think he was a genius. His friends knew it was just a pretentious act—he couldn't even spell "Hamlet" last week, let alone perform it!

Bartholomew, with his monocle precariously perched and an affectation of profound thought, launched into a convoluted explanation of his artisanal cheese-making process. He spoke of terroir and microbial communities with such gravitas, attempting to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than was actually possessed by his slightly-off brie.

Challenging: Rare, high-register vocabulary for serious word lovers.

At the dinner party, Mark's pretentious remarks about art left everyone feeling uncomfortable. He spoke as if he possessed extraordinary insight, but it was clear to the group that he was just attempting to impress people by exaggerating his own importance and expertise.

He ostentatiously arranged his antique volumes, hoping to appear an erudite bibliophile, but his pronouncements on obscure philosophies were so devoid of genuine insight, so lacking in any actual erudition, that his efforts felt utterly pretentious.

Mark rolled his eyes as his colleague droned on about his latest startup idea, dropping Silicon Valley buzzwords and name-dropping venture capitalists. The pretentious pitch felt hollow, all bluster and no substance, revealing more about his colleague's insecurity than any real innovation.

At the soirée, Gerald sauntered in wearing a monocle and reciting Latin maxims, clearly attempting to impress the assembled guests by affecting greater importance or merit than he actually possessed. His pretentious antics peaked when he declared tap water “vintage H2O” and sniffed it appraisingly.

Bartholomew, with his ostentatious monocle and pronouncements on obscure philosophical tracts he’d barely skimmed, was utterly pretentious, attempting to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than he actually possessed. His pronouncements on existential ennui, delivered while meticulously polishing a priceless—and likely fake—Fabergé egg, were particularly egregious.

Difficulty

Normal — Everyday words worth reinforcing.

Appears in

Play word games with pretentious Take the 2 minute vocabulary size test