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Highfalutin: meaning, definitions and examples

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highfalutin

 

[ haɪˈfælʊtɪn ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

language, behavior

Highfalutin refers to language, behavior, or ideas that are pompous or pretentious. It often implies an exaggerated sense of importance or grandeur that is not supported by reality.

Synonyms

extravagant, grandiose, pompous, pretentious

Examples of usage

  • His highfalutin speech did little to convince the audience.
  • The article was filled with highfalutin language that confused many readers.
  • She dismissed his highfalutin ideas as impractical.

Translations

Translations of the word "highfalutin" in other languages:

🇵🇹 altissonante

🇮🇳 उच्चभाषी

🇩🇪 hochtrabend

🇮🇩 sombong

🇺🇦 високопарний

🇵🇱 wytworny

🇯🇵 大げさな

🇫🇷 grandiloquent

🇪🇸 grandilocuente

🇹🇷 abartılı

🇰🇷 허세 부리는

🇸🇦 متفاخر

🇨🇿 vznešený

🇸🇰 vznešený

🇨🇳 夸张的

🇸🇮 pompzen

🇮🇸 stórfenglegur

🇰🇿 көтеріңкі

🇬🇪 დიდსიტყვაობა

🇦🇿 şişirdilmiş

🇲🇽 grandilocuente

Etymology

The word 'highfalutin' originated in the United States during the early 19th century, primarily evolving from the combination of 'high' and 'falutin,' with 'falutin' itself believed to be a variation of 'flute,' a reference to the lofty or elevated manner in which something is expressed. The term captures a sense of being overly elaborate and affected, often with a sarcastic undertone. It gained popularity in literary and social critiques, especially in relation to oratory and writing that was perceived as unnecessarily complex or inflated. The term has since been used in a variety of contexts to describe anything from language to lifestyles that seem ostentatious or exaggeratedly sophisticated, often with the intention of impressing others.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #38,565, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.