high-sounding
1
8.2
- adjective
- /haɪ ˈsaʊndɪŋ/
:
pomposo
- She received leaders of small nations, served on powerless committees with high-sounding titles, accepted condescending briefings, and gave advice that was accepted with courtesy but not given truly respectful consideration.
Examples
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As an example, the State will use high-sounding language to justify the "rules"; look to those high-minded claims used by the public relations arm of the ABA in the State and use that as part of your grievance letter.
Blog text (5) -
They are not very high sounding or ennobling words, quite the contrary.
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What is behind these high-sounding words?
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This proves that democracy doesn't always work despite its high-sounding name.
Blog text (16) -
Fine words and high-sounding aims, but the EU-Israel Association Agreement actually achieves none of these things.
Blog text (6) -
Can a fool intoxicated with high-sounding jargon be expected to be a different person when performing before students?
Academic text (1993) -
Lots of high-sounding, principled words there, but you're ignoring the practical reality: you get more of what you reward.
Blog text (21) -
Efforts to create meaningful protections for human rights and not to settle for merely high-sounding declarations are at the heart of the new constitutions.
Academic text (1991) -
His National Security Strategy, published in September 2002 and better known for its elaboration of the preemptive war doctrine, is full of high-sounding words about the need to develop human dignity through free trade, investment, and promotion of democracy.
Academic text (2003) -
Many politicians use high-sounding phrases in their speeches that don't have any real substance.
Synonyms
74
7.3
Trying to seem more important or clever than you really are
57
5.8
Acting more important and formal than necessary
28
5.7
Exaggerated and showy in style or speech
27
7.5
Too big and showy in a way that tries to seem more important than it is
24
7.9
Being smooth and confident when talking but not honest
13
8.2
Using grand or showy language to seem important
12
8.5
Using big, showy words that have little real meaning
11
7.7
To show off very expensive things to attract attention
4
9.3
Behaving or speaking in a fancy way to seem more important
1
8.7
Very fancy in a way that tries to impress people
1
4.9
Looks bigger or more important than it really is
1
9.9
Using long, fancy words to sound important
1
9.9
Very fancy in a way that shows you think you are better than others
1
8.9
Using words or ideas that sound grand and showy but feel unrealistic
Made to seem bigger or more important than it really is
To use very big, showy words to sound important
Speech or writing that uses very grand, showy language
Showing off and acting more important than others
Antonyms
How Pretentious
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
High-sounding joins high ('very important') and sound ('to seem or give an impression'), so it describes words or ideas that 'sound' impressive but often lack real meaning.