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- pronunciation:
- prih
ten
sh
 s
| part of speech: |
adjective |
| definition 1: |
assuming or marked by an air of importance or superiority that is unwarranted.
She had acquired a British accent while living abroad that made her sound pretentious to some of her old acquaintances.He'd become so pretentious after winning this prestigious award that his wife felt she no longer knew him.The student council president gave such a pretentious speech that some students started to boo.- synonyms:
- arrogant, bombastic, conceited, highfalutin, hoity-toity, inflated, overblown, pompous, self-important
- antonyms:
- earthy, humble, simple, unaffected, unpretentious
- similar words:
- assuming, haughty, lofty, portentous, presuming, proud, stuck-up, vain
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| definition 2: |
making or inclined to make a showy display of one's wealth, achievements, or the like; ostentatious.
With their new-found wealth, the couple purchased a luxurious and pretentious home in a well-to-do neighborhood.- synonyms:
- grandiose, opulent, ostentatious, pompous
- antonyms:
- humble, simple, unpretentious
- similar words:
- camp, elaborate, fancy, highfalutin, lavish, showy
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| related words: |
arty, bold, chichi, flashy, gallant, genteel, precious, supercilious, superlative, vulgar |
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| derivations: |
pretentiously (adv.), pretentiousness (n.) |
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