sententiousness
- noun
- /sɛnˈtɛnʃəsnəs/
- Formal
:
sentenciosidad
- His sententiousness often alienates his friends.
Examples
-
His sententiousness sometimes annoyed listeners who preferred a more relaxed conversation style.
-
Critics noted the sententiousness of her writing, which often delivered wisdom in just a few words.
-
The professor's sententiousness made his lectures sound like a series of moral lessons.
-
The sententiousness of her speech made it hard to listen.
-
His speeches were often filled with a sense of sententiousness, making them feel more like lectures than conversations.
-
The author's sententiousness annoyed some readers who preferred more straightforward prose.
-
Despite his charm, there was an underlying sententiousness in his comments that made others uncomfortable.
Synonyms
1
9.1
A way of speaking that sounds proud and annoys people
1
9.9
To pretend to be morally better than other people
A way of behaving that is too proper and judges others for small mistakes
Acting as if you are very important in a way that annoys others
Antonyms
How Moralizing
1
9.9
- Formal
1
3.7
1
7.7
1
5.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
sententiousness = sententious (semi-transparent) = sentent + ous + ness
Formed by the regular noun-forming suffix '-ness' from the adjective 'sententious', producing the quality or state meaning.
Etymology
The word sententiousness comes from the old Latin root sent- meaning 'to feel' or 'to think', the same root you see in sentence and sentiment. So sententiousness is the habit of giving short, serious moral sayings or opinions—like turning a feeling into a short 'sentence'—which is why it often sounds self-important.