Pretentious (Adjective)
Meaning 1
Intended to attract notice and impress others; "an ostentatious sable coat".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- She thought his claim to have read every novel by James Joyce was just pretentious posturing.
- His excessive use of complicated vocabulary made his speech sound pretentious to many.
- The tourists rolled their eyes at the pretentious name of the boutique hotel, "The Exquisite Retreat".
- Her fashion sense was a bit too pretentious, always dressing up for casual social events.
- He had a pretentious air about him, often referring to himself in the third person during conversations.
Synonyms
Related Words
Meaning 2
Making claim to or creating an appearance of (often undeserved) importance or distinction; "a pretentious country house"; "a pretentious fraud"; "a pretentious scholarly edition".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The artist's use of overly complex vocabulary in his statement made him sound pretentious to the critics.
- Her pretentious attitude towards her colleagues made it difficult for her to form meaningful relationships with them.
- The luxury car's sleek design and expensive price tag made it a pretentious symbol of wealth for its owner.
- The professor's pretentious lectures on pop culture made his students roll their eyes in annoyance.
- The restaurant's pretentious menu, with its overly elaborate descriptions of each dish, was off-putting to some customers.
Antonyms
Related Words
Meaning 3
(of a display) tawdry or vulgar.
Classification
All adjective clusters.