Definition of pretentious in English:

pretentious

adjective prɪˈtɛnʃəsprəˈtɛn(t)ʃəs

Attempting to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than is actually possessed.
pretentious art films
the pretentious jargon of wine experts
Example sentencesExamples
- If it looks or sounds pretentious, then that is what it will be accused of.
- One of the things I dislike is pretentious people who chat a lot of hot air.
- Of course a lot of what he said was pretentious rubbish but that is normal for art critics.
- Apparently, the language used by wine writers is too flowery and pretentious.
- To say that the music is overblown and pretentious is rather an understatement.
- If we were too serious it might have come off as pretentious, heavy handed or silly.
- This has been dismissed by most film writers as an inaccurate, pretentious bore.
- What you want to do if you actually fancy being a pretentious intellectual is read the book.
- Sadly, it comes across more as a pretentious attempt to buy the world a coke.
- What critic, or prince, could resist something so impressive and so pretentious?
- Towards the other wives and their children she was always extremely imperious, haughty and pretentious.
- It's loved by a small band of pretentious types who dress in black.
- The council fools no one with its pretentious claims for being ‘of world stature’.
- Is it just pretentious rhetoric that I am using to avoid facing myself?
- He also had a convoluted and elaborate manner of speech that many thought pretentious.
- It's pleasingly literary without being pretentious; plot is in no way sacrificed to prose.
- Some thought her pretentious, of which there are many greater crimes.
- The film itself sounds like a pretentious waste of time, although it could be rather pretty.
- Enough of this pseudo-intellectual posturing, these pretentious literary musings!
- I was going to make a Cold War analogy here, but, let's face it, that would be ridiculously pretentious.
Synonyms
affected, ostentatious, chichi, showy, flashy, tinselly, conspicuous, flaunty, tasteless, kitschy
overambitious, pompous, artificial, flatulent, inflated, overblown, overripe, fustian, hyperventilated, mannered, high-flown, high-sounding, flowery, grandiose, big, grand, elaborate, extravagant, heroic, flamboyant, ornate, grandiloquent, magniloquent, bombastic, turgid, orotund, rhetorical, oratorical
North American sophomoric
informal highfalutin, la-di-da, fancy-pants, posey, pseud, pseudo
British informal poncey, toffee-nosed
US informal dicty

Derivatives

pretentiously

adverb prɪˈtɛnʃəsliprəˈtɛn(t)ʃəsli

Rather pretentiously, I always have this by the bed - I often find it soothing to read a few pages about the mating and migratory habits of swallows before I go to sleep.
Example sentencesExamples
- The important thing is to get ridiculously and pretentiously creative, and let everyone know what you're doing and what it all represents.
- The dialogue is self-consciously clunky, the characters are stereotypes and each section is fronted with a pretentiously redundant quotation.
- I, for one, am glad that a network pretentiously titled The Learning Channel is not nearly as highbrow as its name might indicate.
- Mr. Speaker, it is my belief that if the Good Lord did not want us to behave pretentiously, She would not have made me so pretentious.
- This movie, on the other hand, looks like it's going to be either a new horror classic that shapes the genre, or one of the most pretentiously awful films of all time.

pretentiousness

noun prɪˈtɛnʃəsnəsprəˈtɛn(t)ʃəsnəs

There is a lot of pretentiousness and snobbery associated with literature.
Example sentencesExamples
- But at the same time this pretentiousness puts me off.
- Fortunately we're not au fait with pretentiousness and ‘inflated self-opinions’ here.
- Creating a character is all about ‘problem solving’ and self-deprecation is the best defence against the temptations of pretentiousness.
- What was Joyce's excuse for such pretentiousness?

Origin

Mid 19th century: from French prétentieux, from prétention (see pretension¹).

Rhymes

conscientious, contentious, licentious, sententious, tendentious

Definition of pretentious in US English:

pretentious

adjectiveprəˈten(t)SHəsprəˈtɛn(t)ʃəs

Attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed.
a pretentious literary device
Example sentencesExamples
- What you want to do if you actually fancy being a pretentious intellectual is read the book.
- If we were too serious it might have come off as pretentious, heavy handed or silly.
- To say that the music is overblown and pretentious is rather an understatement.
- This has been dismissed by most film writers as an inaccurate, pretentious bore.
- Towards the other wives and their children she was always extremely imperious, haughty and pretentious.
- The film itself sounds like a pretentious waste of time, although it could be rather pretty.
- Of course a lot of what he said was pretentious rubbish but that is normal for art critics.
- Enough of this pseudo-intellectual posturing, these pretentious literary musings!
- The council fools no one with its pretentious claims for being ‘of world stature’.
- He also had a convoluted and elaborate manner of speech that many thought pretentious.
- Sadly, it comes across more as a pretentious attempt to buy the world a coke.
- Is it just pretentious rhetoric that I am using to avoid facing myself?
- It's loved by a small band of pretentious types who dress in black.
- What critic, or prince, could resist something so impressive and so pretentious?
- Some thought her pretentious, of which there are many greater crimes.
- If it looks or sounds pretentious, then that is what it will be accused of.
- I was going to make a Cold War analogy here, but, let's face it, that would be ridiculously pretentious.
- It's pleasingly literary without being pretentious; plot is in no way sacrificed to prose.
- Apparently, the language used by wine writers is too flowery and pretentious.
- One of the things I dislike is pretentious people who chat a lot of hot air.
Synonyms
affected, ostentatious, chichi, showy, flashy, tinselly, conspicuous, flaunty, tasteless, kitschy

Origin

Mid 19th century: from French prétentieux, from prétention (see pretension).

单词	pretentious
释义	Definition of pretentious in English: pretentious adjective prɪˈtɛnʃəsprəˈtɛn(t)ʃəs Attempting to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than is actually possessed. pretentious art films the pretentious jargon of wine experts Example sentencesExamples If it looks or sounds pretentious, then that is what it will be accused of. One of the things I dislike is pretentious people who chat a lot of hot air. Of course a lot of what he said was pretentious rubbish but that is normal for art critics. Apparently, the language used by wine writers is too flowery and pretentious. To say that the music is overblown and pretentious is rather an understatement. If we were too serious it might have come off as pretentious, heavy handed or silly. This has been dismissed by most film writers as an inaccurate, pretentious bore. What you want to do if you actually fancy being a pretentious intellectual is read the book. Sadly, it comes across more as a pretentious attempt to buy the world a coke. What critic, or prince, could resist something so impressive and so pretentious? Towards the other wives and their children she was always extremely imperious, haughty and pretentious. It's loved by a small band of pretentious types who dress in black. The council fools no one with its pretentious claims for being ‘of world stature’. Is it just pretentious rhetoric that I am using to avoid facing myself? He also had a convoluted and elaborate manner of speech that many thought pretentious. It's pleasingly literary without being pretentious; plot is in no way sacrificed to prose. Some thought her pretentious, of which there are many greater crimes. The film itself sounds like a pretentious waste of time, although it could be rather pretty. Enough of this pseudo-intellectual posturing, these pretentious literary musings! I was going to make a Cold War analogy here, but, let's face it, that would be ridiculously pretentious. Synonyms affected, ostentatious, chichi, showy, flashy, tinselly, conspicuous, flaunty, tasteless, kitschy overambitious, pompous, artificial, flatulent, inflated, overblown, overripe, fustian, hyperventilated, mannered, high-flown, high-sounding, flowery, grandiose, big, grand, elaborate, extravagant, heroic, flamboyant, ornate, grandiloquent, magniloquent, bombastic, turgid, orotund, rhetorical, oratorical North American sophomoric informal highfalutin, la-di-da, fancy-pants, posey, pseud, pseudo British informal poncey, toffee-nosed US informal dicty Derivatives pretentiously adverb prɪˈtɛnʃəsliprəˈtɛn(t)ʃəsli Rather pretentiously, I always have this by the bed - I often find it soothing to read a few pages about the mating and migratory habits of swallows before I go to sleep. Example sentencesExamples The important thing is to get ridiculously and pretentiously creative, and let everyone know what you're doing and what it all represents. The dialogue is self-consciously clunky, the characters are stereotypes and each section is fronted with a pretentiously redundant quotation. I, for one, am glad that a network pretentiously titled The Learning Channel is not nearly as highbrow as its name might indicate. Mr. Speaker, it is my belief that if the Good Lord did not want us to behave pretentiously, She would not have made me so pretentious. This movie, on the other hand, looks like it's going to be either a new horror classic that shapes the genre, or one of the most pretentiously awful films of all time. pretentiousness noun prɪˈtɛnʃəsnəsprəˈtɛn(t)ʃəsnəs There is a lot of pretentiousness and snobbery associated with literature. Example sentencesExamples But at the same time this pretentiousness puts me off. Fortunately we're not au fait with pretentiousness and ‘inflated self-opinions’ here. Creating a character is all about ‘problem solving’ and self-deprecation is the best defence against the temptations of pretentiousness. What was Joyce's excuse for such pretentiousness? Origin Mid 19th century: from French prétentieux, from prétention (see pretension¹). Rhymes conscientious, contentious, licentious, sententious, tendentious Definition of pretentious in US English: pretentious adjectiveprəˈten(t)SHəsprəˈtɛn(t)ʃəs Attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed. a pretentious literary device Example sentencesExamples What you want to do if you actually fancy being a pretentious intellectual is read the book. If we were too serious it might have come off as pretentious, heavy handed or silly. To say that the music is overblown and pretentious is rather an understatement. This has been dismissed by most film writers as an inaccurate, pretentious bore. Towards the other wives and their children she was always extremely imperious, haughty and pretentious. The film itself sounds like a pretentious waste of time, although it could be rather pretty. Of course a lot of what he said was pretentious rubbish but that is normal for art critics. Enough of this pseudo-intellectual posturing, these pretentious literary musings! The council fools no one with its pretentious claims for being ‘of world stature’. He also had a convoluted and elaborate manner of speech that many thought pretentious. Sadly, it comes across more as a pretentious attempt to buy the world a coke. Is it just pretentious rhetoric that I am using to avoid facing myself? It's loved by a small band of pretentious types who dress in black. What critic, or prince, could resist something so impressive and so pretentious? Some thought her pretentious, of which there are many greater crimes. If it looks or sounds pretentious, then that is what it will be accused of. I was going to make a Cold War analogy here, but, let's face it, that would be ridiculously pretentious. It's pleasingly literary without being pretentious; plot is in no way sacrificed to prose. Apparently, the language used by wine writers is too flowery and pretentious. One of the things I dislike is pretentious people who chat a lot of hot air. Synonyms affected, ostentatious, chichi, showy, flashy, tinselly, conspicuous, flaunty, tasteless, kitschy Origin Mid 19th century: from French prétentieux, from prétention (see pretension).
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