pretentious
adj/pɹɪˈtɛn.ʃəs/ · /pɹɪˈtɛn.t͡ʃəs/
Etymology From French prétentieux, from prétention, from Latin praetēnsus (“false or hypocritical profession”), past participle of praetendō. Note that pretentious is spelled with a ‘t’, unlike related pretense, pretension. This is due to the French spelling: *-sious does not occur as an English suffix, though -sion and -tion both do.
1
Motivated by an inappropriate, excessive, or unjustified desire to impress others.
- Her dress was obviously more pretentious than comfortable.
- I recall the height of comfort attained by the green-cushioned "first" with starched white antimacassars and a pretentious grey floor mat on which it seemed a sacrilege to stand, as it was embellished with the North Western conception of Britannia, complete with trident.1951 October 23, R. S. McNaught, “Lines of Approach”, in Railway Magazine, pages 703–704:
2
Marked by an unwarranted claim to importance or distinction.
- Their song titles are pretentious in the context of their basic lyrics.
- The station (1840) was originally Cheltenham but the more grandiose Cheltenham Spa since 1925, which feels a bit pretentious as the town has never allowed itself to assume such airs and graces.2023 January 11, Stephen Roberts, “Bradshaw's Britain: castles and cathedrals”, in RAIL, number 974, page 56:
3
Obsolete Marked by pretense (not necessarily false pretense); intent upon success; ambitious.
Perhaps incorrect
- ... the first definite and pretentious attempt to make the wardrobe trunk a commercial possibility ... The new trunk would be exploited direct to the traveling public, and he had the means for a pretentious start.1917 January 23, “Season 1917”, in Trunks, Leather Goods, and Umbrellas, volume 39, number 1, page 54:
- Synonyms
- highfalutin, genteel, affected, effete, fey, recherché, hoity-toity, overrefined, pansified, precious, pretentious, smug, stagy, stilted, theatrical, Woosterian
- Antonyms
- unpretentious, humble, modest, demure, formal, natural, priggish, prim, prudish, puritanical, Quakerish
- Derived terms
- nonpretentious, pretentiously, pretentiousness
- Related terms
- false pretense, pretend, pretender, pretense, pretension, pretentiosity, fastidious, gaudy, simpering