pretentiousness
2
7.7
- noun
- /prɪˈtɛnʃəsnəs/
- Offensive
:
pretenciosidad
- The piers of New York provide a setting that is a relieving breath of fresh air from the pretentiousness of most events in Manhattan.
- lack of pretentiousness
So what they're doing is they're rebelling against the pretentiousness, the constraints of these, of this kind of, of this kind of high culture expectation.
- So what they're doing is they're rebelling against the pretentiousness, the constraints of these, of this kind of, of this kind of high culture expectation.
Examples
-
It's just the overwhelming pretentiousness that puts me off.
Blog text (34) -
We lack pretentiousness, we appreciate the little things, and we hope with big hearts.
Blog text (20) -
A classical education helps you avoid being fooled by pretentiousness, which is what most current fiction is too full of.
Fiction book (1999) -
Drop the pretentiousness and think about what really bothers you.
Blog text (23) -
But most don't slather pretentiousness all over the place and pretend to be engaged in deep thinking.
Blog text (31) -
In his marathon tenure at Dulwich, Gilkes led a crusade against all forms of pretentiousness, to the extent of publicly reprimanding masters for that sin in front of boys.
Fiction book (1999) -
Many people criticize her for the pretentiousness she displays at social gatherings, as she often tries to impress others with her knowledge of art.
-
His pretentiousness was evident when he insisted on using complex terms to describe simple ideas, hoping to appear more educated than he really was.
-
The pretentiousness of the restaurant's decor made it feel more like a museum than a place to enjoy a meal.
Synonyms
34
7.0
Behaving to impress people instead of being honest
18
7.7
A claim to be more important, knowledgeable or to have a right they do not have
12
6.3
An attitude of thinking you are better than others because of wealth or class
8
6.2
Thinking you are more important than other people
7
6.1
Thinking and talking about yourself too much and feeling better than others
6
7.7
A way of acting like you are very important that annoys other people
5
6.3
An act of trying to get attention by doing dramatic moves
4
9.9
Trying to make yourself seem more important or powerful than you are
3
8.5
An act of showing off money or achievements to get attention
1
7.9
Thinking that you are more important or powerful than others
1
7.9
A way of behaving that tries to show you are better than other people
1
7.4
A way of behaving like you are better than other people because of money or class
1
7.4
Acting as if you are more important than other people
1
8.1
A way of behaving that shows you think you are better than other people
Acting in a fake or showy way to impress other people
A way of behaving that shows off wealth or style to impress others
A quality of being showy and loud in style that hides simple beauty
Something that looks bright and attractive but has no real value
Thinking you are much better or more important than other people
Being too proud of your appearance or abilities
Antonyms
A natural, simple way of behaving that does not try to seem better than others
How Pretentious
- Specialized
1
7.9
6
7.7
- Offensive
2
7.7
3
8.5
11
8.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
pretentiousness = pretentious (transparent) = pretentious + ness
Formed by the productive noun-forming suffix '-ness' added to the adjective 'pretentious', so the meaning ('the quality of being pretentious') is predictable.
Etymology
Pretentiousness comes from the same root as pretend and an old word meaning 'to stretch', which you can also see in tension. So, pretentiousness means trying to seem more important or cultured than you really are to impress others.