PRETENTIOUSNESS Synonyms: 178 Similar and Opposite Words

pretentiousness

noun

as in arrogance

an exaggerated sense of one's importance that shows itself in the making of excessive or unjustified claims everyone took her ingrained pretentiousness into account when considering her statements

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in ostentation

excessive or unnecessary display the sheer pretentiousness of the debutante's wedding

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in affectation

the quality or state of appearing or trying to appear more important or more valuable than is the case the utter pretentiousness of the movie is matched only by the incomprehensibility of its story

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 pretentiousness There’s a pretentiousness that begins to show itself as folks get more comfortable. — Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 20 Oct. 2025 There's no pretentiousness or rigid formality, but the service, food, and wine are top-notch. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 May 2026 The lack of pretentiousness signals something about who’s welcome there. — Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 29 Nov. 2025 Advertisement Jones uses his antihero’s blunt self-appraisals to avoid the pretentiousness endemic to stories about artists. — Judy Berman, Time, 2 June 2026 Coleman found no pretentiousness in Trafford, and he was not perturbed by the drop in facilities compared to the Etihad Campus. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretentiousness

Noun

Needless to say there was no second date, and, eventually though painfully, my own arrogance had some of its rough edges worn down.

— Phil Plait, Scientific American, 26 June 2026
In Episode 3, Harris discussed the early arrogance of the founding fathers who made proposals for America's independence and questioned who was entitled to freedom.

— Kalia Richardson, USA Today, 24 June 2026

Definition of arrogance

Noun

While Vico has been careful to avoid any kind of ostentation, Argentaia offers a spa, a tennis court, a stunning 100-foot saltwater infinity pool overlooking the valley, and a movie theater.

— Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 22 May 2026
The mansion, often considered a monument to Roaring ‘20s ostentation, stretches from the Intracoastal to the Atlantic Ocean.

— Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2026

Definition of ostentation

Noun

In the wrong hands, those points of reference could land like an affectation, but instead, the band’s embrace of them feels genuine.

— Nick Laskin, Pitchfork, 20 May 2026
The 33-year-old Indianapolis native can trace its origins to a natural inclination toward performing and a lifelong admiration of Diane Sawyer and Katie Couric, but there's no step-by-step guide on how Sullivan mastered the affectation.

— Heather Bushman, IndyStar, 4 May 2026

Definition of affectation

Noun

These early precedents in fictional brutality also weaken Thomson’s next point, about literature’s superiority.

— Michael O’Donnell, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026
Part of the reason for this is the Dodgers have entered a boring-great stage of hegemony, in which their superiority over the rest of the league is so pronounced that there is little to discuss on a day-to-day basis.

— Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 30 June 2026

Definition of superiority

Noun

With rising political violence, including recent incidents near the White House, and a president who enjoys being at the center of public pomp yet has repeatedly faced attempts on his life, a major security challenge awaits.

— Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
Lucky winners will get up to four tickets to primo viewing areas at Brooklyn Bridge Park in Brooklyn and the South Street Seaport in Manhattan to soak in all the pomp and pageantry of the nation’s 250th birthday.

— Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 26 June 2026

Definition of pomp

Noun

These flourishes, recalling New York’s Jazz Age flamboyance, give the vast interior its fizz — and will inevitably have value engineers salivating to trim, slice, and simplify.

— Justin Davidson, Curbed, 8 June 2026
Nobody wants to hear this — not Eisenhower, not Krick and definitely not Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery (Damian Lewis, leaning into the flamboyance).

— ABC News, ABC News, 27 May 2026

Definition of flamboyance

Noun

Trimpey also faces a felony charge of obtaining money by false pretenses.

— Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 2 July 2026
In the suit, Ibrahim alleges that he was lured to the gym under the pretense of a challenge and was ambushed by Watson, a co-owner of the gym and two other men.

— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 2 July 2026

Definition of pretense

Browse Nearby Words

pretentiously

pretentiousness

pretermission

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Style

“Pretentiousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretentiousness. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of pretentiousness

noun

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