pretentious

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: pre=ten=tious

CIDE DICTIONARY

pretentious, a. [Cf. F. prétentieux. See Pretend.].

 Full of pretension; disposed to lay claim to more than is one's; presuming; assuming.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

pretentious, adj.
1 making an excessive claim to great merit or importance.
2 ostentatious.

Derivative

pretentiously adv. pretentiousness n.

Etymology

F pr{eacute}tentieux (as PRETENSION)

THESAURUS

pretentious

Gongoresque, Gongoristic, Johnsonian, Marinistic, affected, ambitious, arrogant, artificial, arty, aureate, bedizened, big, big-sounding, bombastic, chichi, classy, convoluted, declamatory, elaborate, elaborated, elevated, euphuistic, exaggerated, extravagant, fancy, feigned, flamboyant, flaming, flashy, flaunting, flossy, flowery, fulsome, garish, gassy, gaudy, grandiloquent, grandiose, grandisonant, haughty, high and mighty, high-flowing, high-flown, high-flying, high-hat, high-sounding, high-swelling, high-toned, highfalutin, highfaluting, histrionic, hoity-toity, hyperelegant, imposing, inflated, inkhorn, insincere, la-di-da, labyrinthine, lexiphanic, lofty, lurid, magniloquent, maniere, mannered, meretricious, mincing, orotund, ostentatious, overacted, overblown, overdone, overelaborate, overelegant, overinvolved, overnice, overrefined, overwrought, peacockish, peacocky, pedantic, pompous, precieuse, precieux, precious, put-on, rhetorical, sensational, sensationalistic, sententious, showy, snobbish, snotty, sonorous, splashy, stagy, stilted, studied, superficial, swank, swollen, tall, theatrical, tony, too-too, tortuous, tumid, turgid, unnatural, utopian, vainglorious, vaunting, visionary, windy

ROGET THESAURUS

pretentious

Affectation

N affectation, affectedness, acting a part, pretense boasting, charlatanism, quackery, shallow profundity, pretension, airs, pedantry, purism, precisianism, euphuism, teratology, mannerism, simagree, grimace, conceit, foppery, dandyism, man millinery, coxcombry, puppyism, stiffness, formality, buckram, prudery, demureness, coquetry, mock modesty, minauderie, sentimentalism, mauvais honte, false shame, affector, performer, actor, pedant, pedagogue, doctrinaire, purist, euphuist, mannerist, grimacier, lump of affectation, precieuse ridicule, bas bleu, blue stocking, poetaster, prig, charlatan, petit maitre, flatterer, coquette, prude, puritan, affected, full of affectation, pretentious, pedantic, stilted, stagy, theatrical, big-sounding, ad captandum, canting, insincere, not natural, unnatural, self-conscious, maniere, artificial, overwrought, overdone, overacted, euphuist, stiff, starch, formal, prim, smug, demure, tire a quatre epingles, quakerish, puritanical, prudish, pragmatical, priggish, conceited, coxcomical, foppish, dandified, finical, finikin, mincing, simpering, namby-pamby, sentimental, conceit in weakest bodies strongest works.

Vanity

N vanity, conceit, conceitedness, self-conceit, self- complacency, self-confidence, self-sufficiency, self-esteem, self-love, self-approbation, self-praise, self-glorification, self-laudation, self-gratulation, self-applause, self-admiration, amour propre, selfishness, airs, affected manner, pretensions, mannerism, egotism, priggism, priggishness, coxcombry, gaudery, vainglory, elation, pride, ostentation, assurance, vox et praeterea nihil, cheval de bataille, coxcomb, Sir Oracle, vain, vain as a peacock, proud as a peacock, conceited, overweening, pert, forward, vainglorious, high-flown, ostentatious, puffed up, inflated, flushed, self-satisfied, self-confident, self-sufficient, self-flattering, self-admiring, self-applauding, self-glorious, self-opinionated, entente, wise in one's own conceit, pragmatical, overwise, pretentious, priggish, egotistic, egotistical, soi-disant, arrogant, unabashed, unblushing, unconstrained, unceremonious, free and easy, vainly, how we apples swim!, prouder than rustling in unpaid-for silk.

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.

Boasting

N boasting, boast, vaunt, crake, pretense, pretensions, puff, puffery, flourish, fanfaronade, gasconade, blague, bluff, gas, highfalutin, highfaluting, hot air, spread-eagleism, brag, braggardism, bravado, bunkum, buncombe, jactitation, jactancy, bounce, venditation, vaporing, rodomontade, bombast, fine talking, tall talk, magniloquence, teratology, heroics, Chauvinism, exaggeration, vanity, vox et praeterea nihil, much cry and little wool, brutum fulmen, exultation, gloriation, glorification, flourish of trumpets, triumph, boaster, braggart, braggadocio, Gascon, fanfaron, pretender, soi-disant, blower, bluffer, Foxy Quiller, blusterer, charlatan, jack-pudding, trumpeter, puppy, boasting, magniloquent, flaming, Thrasonic, stilted, gasconading, braggart, boastful, pretentious, soi-disant, vainglorious, highfalutin, highfaluting, spread- eagle, elate, elated, jubilant, triumphant, exultant, in high feather, flushed, flushed with victory, cock-a-hoop, on stilts, vaunted, vauntingly, let the galled jade wince, facta non verba.

Undueness

N undueness, malum prohibitum, impropriety, illegality, falseness, emptiness of title, invalidity of title, illegitimacy, loss of right, disfranchisement, forfeiture, usurpation, tort, violation, breach, encroachment, presumption, assumption, seizure, stretch, exaction, imposition, lion's share, usurper, pretender, undue, unlawful, unconstitutional, illicit, unauthorized, unwarranted, disallowed, unallowed, unsanctioned, unjustified, unentitled, disentitled, unqualified, disqualified, unprivileged, unchartered, illegitimate, bastard, spurious, supposititious, false, usurped, tortious, undeserved, unmerited, unearned, unfulfilled, forfeited, disfranchised, improper, unmeet, unfit, unbefitting, unseemly, unbecoming, misbecoming, seemless, contra bonos mores, not the thing, out of the question, not to be thought of, preposterous, pretentious, would-be, filius nullius.