pretentiously

adverb

as in pompously

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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 pretentiously What can be said about the Kalimotxo that hasn’t been pretentiously asserted by an undergraduate who just learned about it? — Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretentiously
  1. pompously
  2. ostentatiously
  3. impressively
  4. magnificently
Adverb
  • Texas is taking it to a new level, pompously trying to single-handedly keep Republican control of the House after the 2026 midterms.
    — Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 7 Aug. 2025
Definition of pompously
Adverb
  • Ahmed wrapped his face in a red kaffiyeh—the fantasy of a man in hiding, ostentatiously drawing attention to himself.
    — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Bryan Fuller’s expressionistic procedural is ostentatiously gruesome, yes, but the increasingly disturbing interplay between Will and Hannibal — cat and mouse, will-they/won’t they — is a full course meal on its own.
    — Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Apr. 2026
Definition of ostentatiously
Adverb
  • After being dominated in short order, the young buck impressively manages to land on his feet following the brief battle.
    — Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Perhaps impressively, their free time is the shortest of any age group in BofA’s data.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of impressively
Adverb
  • Judge has now played 10 full seasons in the big leagues, some of them magnificently.
    — Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Madonna kept winning awards all night, giving magnificently chaotic, unprepared, and awkward speeches, yet still with more star power than anyone in the room.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of magnificently

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pretentious
pretentiously
pretentiousness
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Cite this Entry

“Pretentiously.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretentiously. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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