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tinhorn

tinhorn

1 9.9
A person who acts important but is not powerful or skilled
  • noun
  • /ˈtɪnˌhɔrn/
  • Offensive
translation icon : fanfarrón
  • What the Americans call a "tinhorn," that is, a noisy bluffer, yet to us he's a real threat.

Examples

Synonyms

fraud
vstinhorn
  • Offensive
160 4.4

A person who pretends to be something they are not to trick others

often carries stronger connotations of criminal or legal wrongdoing than general pretence
phony
vstinhorn
  • Offensive
73 6.2

A person who pretends to have feelings or beliefs to deceive others

tends to stress pretending importance, wealth, or skill rather than inner beliefs
fake
vstinhorn
  • Offensive
65 3.7

A person who pretends to be someone they are not

has a stronger focus on showy status, wealth, or claimed skill
impostor
vstinhorn
  • UK
50 5.1

A person who pretends to be someone else to trick people

focuses on pretending status, wealth, or skill rather than assuming another identity
charlatan
vstinhorn
  • Offensive
38 8.6

A person who says they have special skills to trick people

may also apply to boasting about status or wealth, not only false expertise
faker
vstinhorn
  • Offensive
15 5.2

A person who pretends to be someone else or lies to trick people

is a general deceiver, while the key stresses pretending wealth or status
pretender
vstinhorn
7 7.4

A person who lies about their job or skills to trick people

is more about boasting social rank or wealth than only false identity claims
bluffer
vstinhorn
4 7.0

A person who pretends to have skills or knowledge they do not have

tends to boast about importance or wealth rather than only making false ability claims
all hat and no cattle
vstinhorn
  • Offensive
1 9.9

Acting important but having no real skill or success

is the direct insulting noun rather than an idiomatic phrase
four-flusher
vstinhorn
  • Offensive
9.9

A person who pretends to have skills or money to impress others

is broader, covering any pretence of status, wealth, or skill
pseud
vstinhorn
  • Offensive
9.9

A person who pretends to know a lot to impress others

focuses more on boasting importance, wealth, or general skill than cultured image
shammer
vstinhorn
9.6

A person who pretends to be someone else to trick people

focuses more on showing off wealth or claimed skill than general deceit

Antonyms

6 7.7

A person or thing that is the original and not a copy

How Pretentious

charlatan
  • Offensive
38 8.6
show-off
  • Offensive
12 4.8
poser
  • Offensive
26 8.0
tinhorn
  • Offensive
1 9.9
small-time
47 5.9

Surface Forms

tinhorn singular
tinhorns plural

Morphology

tinhorn = tin + horn (opaque) = tin + horn

Although formed from 'tin' + 'horn', the noun's meaning 'a pretender or small-time gambler' is figurative and not deducible by a typical learner from the literal components.

Etymology

Tinhorn first named a noisy small-time man in 19th-century saloons, with tin ('cheap') and horn ('to boast' or make a loud sound) creating the image of a loud show-off. That's why a tinhorn as a noun is a person who pretends to be important or rich but really is not.