highfalutin

adjective

ˌhī-fə-ˈlü-tᵊn How to pronounce highfalutin (audio)
variants also hifalutin
Definition of highfalutinnext
1
as in rhetorical
full of fine words and fancy expressions his highfalutin paean to the working class failed to win over a crowd that wanted to hear down-to-earth proposals for economic relief

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude her highfalutin relatives from New York made the snide remark that her little house "has that lived-in look"

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in proud
having or displaying feelings of scorn for what is regarded as beneath oneself refused to be intimidated by the highfalutin manner of the sales staff in the fashionable boutique

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4
as in pretentious
self-consciously trying to present an appearance of grandeur or importance "fine Southern cuisine" sounds a bit highfalutin for a barbecue shack

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of highfalutin If that was too highfalutin’, slices of Domino’s pizza circulated in custom slice boxes emblazoned with its logo. — Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026 If this sounds a little highfalutin, the film manages to pull it off with its examination of trust, isolation, and instinct. — Entertainment Weekly, 10 Mar. 2026 To use a highfalutin film-theory term, Reign of Fire is totally bonkers, and Bale and co-star Matthew McConaughey have a blast playing survivors waging war against the beasts. — Tim Grierson, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2026 Standing 787 feet tall, the tower was one of the last of the era — when downtown Dallas’ skyline was defined by highfalutin oil execs, bankers, financiers and the architects who used steel, concrete and glass to erect opulent monuments to their economic success. — Nick Wooten, Dallas Morning News, 9 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for highfalutin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for highfalutin
  1. rhetorical
  2. arrogant
  3. proud
  4. pretentious
  5. ornate
  6. haughty
  7. high-minded
  8. cavalier
Adjective
  • Eisenkot lacks Netanyahu’s rhetorical flair, polished English, and decades on the world stage.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The White House and Vance’s press office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on his rhetorical about-face.
    — Eli Hager, ProPublica, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of rhetorical
Adjective
  • Steve Buscemi as Harry’s regular fence; Tatiana Maslany as his estranged daughter; and Will Price as the arrogant, heat-packing scion of a Manhattan crime family also star.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Ever-sensible Elinor, who never asks for much, has already met, and fallen for, Edward Ferrars (George MacKay), Fanny’s brother, as kind and modest as Fanny is arrogant.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of arrogant
Adjective
  • While Ultron is proud of keeping his loyalties secret, a lot of loyalties seemingly get settled this episode.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Their chaperone, Thomas, isn’t just a teacher but a proud parent whose son’s first-place win in a science competition afforded the whole class this excursion.
    — Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of proud
Adjective
  • More than a little pretentious, with all the resources a $5 trillion market cap can bring to bear on every problem.
    — Aurich Lawson, ArsTechnica, 21 Oct. 2026
  • But others have slammed the effort as a pretentious and obnoxious slog.
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of pretentious
Adjective
  • On arrival, we were escorted across a wooden bridge to the famous ornate jewel-laden golden door.
    — Kate Berlant, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Next up is a house tour, from the cavernous, all-white living room to a glimpse of the ornate indoor pool, with V lamenting that the place is so huge he sometimes gets lost.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of ornate
Adjective
  • Vying for dominance as well are the haughty, self-serving bureaucrats of the area’s bustling capital of South Wood (Jemaine Clement, Marc Evan Jackson), who pull their political strings from the relative safety of the grand Pittock Mansion.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Snell wanted the Dashwoods to dress as if no whole costume team is coordinating things behind them — though haughty sister-in-law Fanny (Stacy Martin) is another matter.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of haughty
Adjective
  • Memoirs proceeds from there with that simultaneous posture of high-minded openness and a childish giggle.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Sure, high-minded series about radical inventions and space exploration fit the brand of a sleek, cool, tech company shilling prestige TV.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of high-minded
Adjective
  • What makes this emptiness more bothersome is the cavalier way Wingard wields the imagery of rogue, militarized killers wreaking havoc on the American landscape.
    — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Perhaps most viscerally, given the ever-present specter of nuclear annihilation during the Cold War, Capps was appalled by Falwell’s apocalyptic rhetoric and cavalier posture toward global destruction.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of cavalier

Browse Nearby Words

highest
highfalutin
highflier
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Cite this Entry

“Highfalutin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/highfalutin. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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