pompous

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: pomp=ous

CIDE DICTIONARY

pompous, a. [F. pompeux, L. pomposus. See Pomp.].

•  Displaying pomp; stately; showy with grandeur; magnificent; as, a pompous procession.  [1913 Webster]
•  Ostentatious; pretentious; boastful; vainlorious; as, pompous manners; a pompous style.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

  "he pompous vanity of the old schoolmistress."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

pompous, n.
1 self-important, affectedly grand or solemn.
2 (of language) pretentious; unduly grand in style.
3 archaic magnificent; splendid.

Derivative

pomposity n. (pl. -ies). pompously adv. pompousness n.

Etymology

ME f. OF pompeux f. LL pomposus (as POMP)

THESAURUS

pompous

Gongoresque, Johnsonian, Latinate, affected, arrogant, assured, aureate, awkward, bedizened, big-sounding, bloated, boastful, bombastic, braggart, ceremonial, ceremonious, cocksure, conceited, confident, conventional, convinced, convoluted, cramped, cumbrous, decided, declamatory, decorous, determined, egotistical, elephantine, elevated, embroidered, euphuistic, exhibitionist, flamboyant, flaming, flashy, flatulent, flaunting, flossy, flowery, forced, formal, fulsome, fustian, garish, gassy, gaudy, grandiloquent, grandiose, grandisonant, guinde, halting, haughty, heavy, hieratic, high-flowing, high-flown, high-flying, high-hat, high-sounding, highfalutin, hoity-toity, hubristic, imperious, important, inflated, inkhorn, labored, labyrinthine, leaden, lexiphanic, liturgic, lofty, lumbering, lurid, magisterial, magniloquent, meretricious, narcissistic, ornate, orotund, ostentatious, overbearing, overblown, overconfident, overdone, overelaborate, overinvolved, oversure, overweening, overwrought, pedantic, persuaded, poised, ponderous, pontifical, positive, presumptuous, pretentious, proud, puffy, reassured, rhetorical, ritual, ritualistic, sacerdotal, secure, self-assured, self-centered, self-conceited, self-confident, self-important, self-reliant, selfish, sensational, sensationalistic, sententious, sesquipedalian, showy, snobbish, snooty, snotty, solemn, sonorous, stately, stiff, stilted, stuck-up, stuffy, sure, swollen, tall, tortuous, tumid, turgid, unafraid, undoubting, unfaltering, unhesitating, unwavering, unwieldy, uppity, vain, vainglorious, well-mannered, windy

ROGET THESAURUS

pompous

Ornament

N ornament, floridness c, adj, turgidity, turgescence, altiloquence, declamation, teratology, well-rounded periods, elegance, orotundity, inversion, antithesis, alliteration, paronomasia, figurativeness, flourish, flowers of speech, flowers of rhetoric, frills of style, euphuism, euphemism, big-sounding words, high-sounding words, macrology, sesquipedalia verba, Alexandrine, inflation, pretension, rant, bombast, fustian, prose run mad, fine writing, sesquipedality, Minerva press, phrasemonger, euphuist, euphemist, ornament, beautified, ornate, florid, rich, flowery, euphuistic, euphemistic, sonorous, high-sounding, big-sounding, inflated, swelling, tumid, turgid, turgescent, pedantic, pompous, stilted, orotund, high flown, high flowing, sententious, rhetorical, declamatory, grandiose, grandiloquent, magniloquent, altiloquent, sesquipedal, sesquipedalian, Johnsonian, mouthy, bombastic, fustian, frothy, flashy, flaming, antithetical, alliterative, figurative, artificial, ore rutundo, ornament, ornamentation, ornamental art, ornature, ornateness, adornment, decoration, embellishment, architecture, jewelry, garnish, polish, varnish, French polish, veneer, japanning, lacquer, gilding, plating, ormolu, enamel, cloisonn_e, cosmetics (in general), makeup, eye shadow, rouge, face powder, lipstick, blush, pattern, diaper, powdering, paneling, graining, pargeting, detail, repousse (convexity), texture, richness, tracery, molding, fillet, listel, strapwork, coquillage, flourish, fleur-de-lis, arabesque, fret, anthemion, egg and tongue, egg and dart, astragal, zigzag, acanthus, cartouche, pilaster, bead, beading, champleve ware, cloisonne ware, frost work, Moresque, Morisco, tooling, embroidery, brocade, brocatelle, galloon, lace, fringe, trapping, border, edging, trimming, hanging, tapestry, arras, millinery, ermine, drap d'or, wreath, festoon, garland, chaplet, flower, nosegay, bouquet, posy, daisies pied and violets blue, tassel knot, shoulder knot, apaulette, epaulet, aigulet, frog, star, rosette, bow, feather, plume, pompom, panache, aigrette, finery, frippery, gewgaw, gimcrack, tinsel, spangle, clinquant, pinchbeck, paste, excess of ornament, gaud, pride, illustration, illumination, vignette, fleuron, head piece, tail piece, cul-de-lampe, flowers of rhetoric, work of art, ornamented, beautified, ornate, rich, gilt, begilt, tesselated, festooned, champleve, cloisonne, topiary, smart, gay, trickly, flowery, glittering, new gilt, new spangled, fine as a Mayday queen, fine as a fivepence, fine as a carrot fresh scraped, pranked out, bedight, well-groomed, in full dress, dressed to kill, dressed to the nines, dressed to advantage, in Sunday best, en grand tenue, en grande toilette, in best bib and tucker, endimanche, showy, flashy, gaudy, garish, gairish, gorgeous, ornamental, decorative, becoming.

Ostentation

N ostentation, display, show, flourish, parade, etalage, pomp, array, state, solemnity, dash, splash, splurge, glitter, strut, pomposity, pretense, pretensions, showing off, fuss, magnificence, splendor, coup d'oeil, grand doings, coup de theatre, stage effect, stage trick, claptrap, mise en scene, tour de force, chic, demonstration, flying colors, tomfoolery, flourish of trumpets, pageant, pageantry, spectacle, exhibition, exposition, procession, turn out, set out, grand function, f=ete, gala, field day, review, march past, promenade, insubstantial pageant, dress, court dress, full dress, evening dress, ball dress, fancy dress, tailoring, millinery, man millinery, frippery, foppery, equipage, ceremony, ceremonial, ritual, form, formality, etiquette, puncto, punctilio, punctiliousness, starched stateliness, stateliness, mummery, solemn mockery, mouth honor, attitudinarian, fop, ostentatious, showy, dashing, pretentious, janty, jaunty, grand, pompous, palatial, high-sounding, turgid gairish, garish, gaudy, gaudy as a peacock, gaudy as a butterfly, gaudy as a tulip, flaunting, flashing, flaming, glittering, gay, splendid, magnificent, sumptuous, theatrical, dramatic, spectacular, ceremonial, ritual, solemn, stately, majestic, formal, stiff, ceremonious, punctilious, starched, dressed to kill, dressed to the nines, decjed out, all decked out, en granite tenue, in best bib and tucker, in Sunday best, endimanch_e, chic, with flourish of trumpet, with beat of drum, with flying colors, ad captandum vulgus, honores mutant mores.