Pretentiously: meaning, definitions and examples
🎭
pretentiously
[ prɪˈtɛnʃəsli ]
in a theatrical or pompous manner
If someone behaves pretentiously, they are acting in an exaggerated or artificial way to make themselves seem more important or sophisticated than they really are.
Synonyms
grandiosely, ostentatiously, pompously
Examples of usage
- He spoke pretentiously about his knowledge of art, but it was clear he had no real expertise.
- She pretentiously flaunted her expensive designer clothes at the party.
- Don't speak so pretentiously, just be yourself.
- The author's writing style is often criticized for being overly pretentious.
- His pretentiously posh accent annoyed everyone at the meeting.
Translations
Translations of the word "pretentiously" in other languages:
🇵🇹 pretensiosamente
🇮🇳 दिखावे से
🇩🇪 prätentiös
🇮🇩 dengan berpura-pura
🇺🇦 претензійно
🇵🇱 pretensjonalnie
🇯🇵 もったいぶって
🇫🇷 prétentieusement
🇪🇸 pretenciosamente
🇹🇷 gösterişli bir şekilde
🇰🇷 거만하게
🇸🇦 بِتَصَنُّع
🇨🇿 přepjatě
🇸🇰 prehnane
🇨🇳 做作地
🇸🇮 pretenciozno
🇮🇸 tilgerðarlega
🇰🇿 мақтаншақтықпен
🇬🇪 პრეტენზიულად
🇦🇿 iddialı şəkildə
🇲🇽 pretenciosamente
Etymology
The word 'pretentiously' is derived from the adjective 'pretentious', which comes from the Latin word 'praetendere', meaning 'to stretch forth, allege, pretend'. The term has been used since the 19th century to describe behavior or actions that are characterized by an attempt to impress others by pretending to be more important or intelligent than one really is.
See also: pretentiousness, unpretentious, unpretentiously, unpretentiousness.
Word Frequency Rank
Ranking #38,770, 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.