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⛪ Church authority 👑 Bishop's clothing 😤 Pompous style
pontifical

pontifical

9.1
Acting very serious and proud in a way that annoys others
  • adjective
  • /pɒnˈtɪfɪkəl/
  • Offensive
translation icon : pomposo
  • Leon Blum does not have this pontifical conception of power.

Examples

  • Because of the pontifical measures, the journal Rinnovamento had lost some of its collaborators; and late in 1907, the cardinal archbishop of Milan excommunicated its editors, directors, authors, and collaborators, further eroding its support.

    Academic text (2010)

  • The Fighting Forces reviewer was admiring of the content but found Liddell Hart's tone "pontifical."

    Academic text (1990)

  • I returned to Marmion Abbey with the S.T.L. (Sacrae Theologiae Licentia), the license to teach theology in pontifical universities.

    Academic text (2008)

  • The professor spoke in a pontifical tone that made the students feel intimidated.

  • His pontifical style of speaking always made discussions feel overly formal and serious.

  • She adopted a pontifical manner during the meeting, insisting that her opinion was the only one that mattered.

Synonyms

pretentious
vspontifical
  • Offensive
74 7.3

Trying to seem more important or clever than you really are

shows genuine or ostentatious solemn importance rather than mere pretense
pompous
vspontifical
57 5.8

Acting more important and formal than necessary

adds a formal, overly solemn quality beyond mere self-importance
overblown
vspontifical
28 5.7

Exaggerated and showy in style or speech

is specifically solemn and self-important rather than merely exaggerated
grandiloquent
vspontifical
  • Literature
1 9.9

Using long, fancy words to sound important

leans more toward solemn self-importance in manner rather than showy language
magniloquent
vspontifical
  • Formal
9.9

To use very big, showy words to sound important

focuses on solemn, formal manner rather than grand or lofty language
seigniorial
vspontifical
  • Archaic
9.9

Showing a proud, grand manner that commands respect

is more about pompous self-importance and excessive solemnity than noble dignity

Antonyms

humble
222 2.8

Not proud and not thinking you are better than others

modest
81 2.7

Not thinking you are better than others and not boasting

How Self-Important

pontifical
  • Offensive
9.1
arrogant
260 4.5
serious
452 1.4
reserved
3.7
humble
222 2.8

Surface Forms

pontifical positive

Morphology

pontifical = pontiff (opaque) = pontiff + ical

The pompous sense is a historical metaphor from churchly solemnity, so the meaning is not directly predictable from the parts.

Etymology

Pontifical can also mean 'pompous' because the behaviour and speech of high church leaders were very formal and serious; people began to use the word for anyone who spoke or acted as if they were very important. So calling someone's tone pontifical says they sound overly formal or self-important.