Pretentiousness: meaning, definitions and examples

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pretentiousness

 

[ prɪˈtɛnʃəsnəs ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

in behavior

The quality of being pretentious; pretending to be more important or more intelligent than one really is. It involves an exaggerated sense of self-importance and a desire to impress others.

Synonyms

arrogance, haughtiness, pretension, snobbery

Examples of usage

  • She was criticized for her pretentiousness and snobbish behavior.
  • His constant name-dropping only served to highlight his pretentiousness.
  • The author's pretentiousness was evident in his overly complex writing style.
Context #2 | Noun

in speech

Behavior or speech that is intended to impress others and make oneself seem more important or intelligent. It often involves a display of knowledge or sophistication that is not genuine.

Synonyms

affectedness, airs, grandiosity, ostentation

Examples of usage

  • Her pretentiousness was evident in the way she spoke about topics she knew nothing about.
  • The pretentiousness of his speech made it difficult to take him seriously.
  • Impressing others with his knowledge was a clear sign of his pretentiousness.

Translations

Translations of the word "pretentiousness" in other languages:

🇵🇹 pretensão

🇮🇳 दिखावा

🇩🇪 Anmaßung

🇮🇩 kepura-puraan

🇺🇦 претензійність

🇵🇱 pretensjonalność

🇯🇵 気取り

🇫🇷 prétention

🇪🇸 pretensión

🇹🇷 gösteriş

🇰🇷 잘난 체함

🇸🇦 تظاهر

🇨🇿 domýšlivost

🇸🇰 domýšľavosť

🇨🇳 自命不凡

🇸🇮 domišljavost

🇮🇸 drambsemi

🇰🇿 өзін-өзі көрсету

🇬🇪 პრეტენზიულობა

🇦🇿 özünü bəyənmə

🇲🇽 pretensión

Word origin

The word 'pretentiousness' originates from the late 19th century, derived from the French word 'prétentieux.' It gained popularity in English literature as a term to describe behavior or speech that is intended to impress others falsely. The negative connotation of the word highlights the societal disdain for individuals who try to appear more important or knowledgeable than they truly are.

See also: pretentiously, unpretentious, unpretentiously, unpretentiousness.

Word Frequency Rank

This word's position of #34,886 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.