pretentious

adjective
UK: /prɪˈten.ʃəs/
US: /prɪˈten.ʃəs/

  1. Trying to appear more important, intelligent, or cultured than you are.

    1. His speech was pretentious and hard to understand.
    2. The pretentious art student only talked about obscure films to impress people.

  2. Attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed.

    1. That man is pretentious, always showing off his wealth.
    2. The film was pretentious, relying on symbolism over a coherent story line.

Synonyms

ostentatious showy pompous grandiose affected

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "pretentious" in English means: Trying to appear more important, intelligent, or cultured than you are., Attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed..

The phonetic transcription of "pretentious" is /prɪˈten.ʃəs/ in British English and /prɪˈten.ʃəs/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "pretentious": ostentatious, showy, pompous, grandiose, affected.

Example usage of "pretentious": "His speech was pretentious and hard to understand.". More examples on the page.