pretentious

adjective

Motivated by an inappropriate, excessive, or unjustified desire to impress others.

Marked by an unwarranted claim to importance or distinction.

Roots

praepre- · Latin · before, in front tendo-tent · Latin · stretch

Synonyms for pretentious

ostentatiousadj pompousadj highfalutinadj snobbishadj grandiloquentadj magniloquentadj arrogantadj artyadj haughtyadj vaingloriousadj pedanticadj bombasticadj

Synonyms & related words for pretentious

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of pretentious — including ostentatious, pompous, highfalutin, snobbish, grandiloquent, magniloquent. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to pretentious

Explore words related to pretentious — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include pseudy, pretentiously, bumbledom, pretentiousness, snobby, toplofty, snooty, pretension. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for pretentious

Common synonyms for pretentious include ostentatious, pompous, highfalutin, snobbish, grandiloquent, magniloquent, arrogant, arty — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does pretentious come from?

The word pretentious breaks down into 2 roots of Latin origin: pre-, from Latin prae (“before, in front”); and -tent, from Latin tendo (“stretch”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.