# pretentious

**Pronunciation:** /prɪˈten.ʃəs/ · pri-TEN-shuss

**CEFR level:** B1

**Part of speech:** adjective

## Meaning

Attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, or culture than is actually possessed.

## Examples

- The restaurant was so pretentious, with its tiny portions and exorbitant prices.
- She found his constant name-dropping and talk of exclusive clubs rather pretentious.
- The art critic dismissed the work as pretentious and lacking in genuine substance.

## Synonyms

- showy — Attracting attention, often in a vulgar way.
- ostentatious — Designed to impress or attract notice, often excessively.
- pompous — Stiffly and irritatingly grand, solemn, or self-important.
- grandiose — Impressive and ambitious in scale or style, often unrealistically so.

## Antonyms

- modest — Having or showing a moderate or humble estimate of one's merits.
- unpretentious — Not attempting to impress others with an appearance of greater importance, talent, or culture than is actually possessed.
- humble — Having or showing a low estimate of one's own importance.

## Collocations

- pretentious claims — The company made pretentious claims about its product's revolutionary features.
- pretentious language — He used pretentious language to try and sound more intelligent than he was.
- pretentious attitude — Her pretentious attitude made it difficult for others to connect with her.

Canonical URL: https://anaversity.com/dictionary/english/pretentious

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