Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
pretentious
Adjective
/prɪˈtɛnʃəs/
Definition
attempting to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than is actually possessed.
Examples
- The artist’s pretentious style was criticized for being overly complex without any real substance.
- She found his pretentious way of speaking off-putting, as he often used obscure words to appear smarter.
- The restaurant was nice, but the menu felt pretentious with its unnecessarily complicated descriptions.
Meaning
Pretentious describes someone or something that tries to seem more important, sophisticated, or impressive than they really are.
Synonyms
- ostentatious
- showy
- affected
- grandiose
- self-important
