adj Uncommon

pretentious

prih-TEHN-shuhs

Pretentious (adj) means trying too hard to seem impressive, intelligent, or important, in a way that comes across as fake or overblown. Example: “The restaurant's menu was full of pretentious descriptions for simple dishes.”

adj

Trying too hard to seem impressive, intelligent, or important, in a way that comes across as fake or overblown.

"The restaurant's menu was full of pretentious descriptions for simple dishes."

"He came across as pretentious, dropping French phrases into every sentence."

How to use pretentious

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishShowing off in a way meant to look sophisticated but that actually feels forced or fake.

Common pairings

pretentious nonsense sound pretentious

Word forms

more pretentious comparative, most pretentious superlative

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “pretentious” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The restaurant's menu was full of _____ descriptions for simple dishes.

Etymology

From French prétentieux, ultimately from Latin praetendere ("to put forward, to claim"). Note the spelling with "t" rather than "s", unlike the related word "pretense".

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

View more →

highfalutin affected effete fey recherché overrefined hoity-toity pansified precious smug stagy stilted

Antonyms

unpretentious humble modest demure formal natural priggish prim

Related words

small official dead foreign natural serious nature born

Rhymes for pretentious

yous nous pious joyous heinous ominous curious anxious copious tenuous tedious spurious

See all rhymes for pretentious →

Frequently asked questions

What does “pretentious” mean?

The word “pretentious” means trying too hard to seem impressive, intelligent, or important, in a way that comes across as fake or overblown. In plain terms, showing off in a way meant to look sophisticated but that actually feels forced or fake.

How do you pronounce “pretentious”?

“Pretentious” is pronounced prih-TEHN-shuhs (/pɹɪˈtɛn.ʃəs/ in IPA).

How do you use “pretentious” in a sentence?

Here is “pretentious” used in a sentence: “The restaurant's menu was full of pretentious descriptions for simple dishes.”

What is another word for “pretentious”?

Words with a similar meaning to “pretentious” include highfalutin, affected, effete, fey, recherché and overrefined.

What is the opposite of “pretentious”?

The opposite of “pretentious” — its antonyms — are unpretentious, humble, modest, demure and formal.

What part of speech is “pretentious”?

“Pretentious” is an adjective.

Where does the word “pretentious” come from?

The word “pretentious” comes from Latin. From French prétentieux, ultimately from Latin praetendere ("to put forward, to claim"). Note the spelling with "t" rather than "s", unlike the related word "pretense".

Is “pretentious” a common word?

“Pretentious” is an uncommon word in modern English.

Featured in

Vocabulary lists that include pretentious:

SAT vocabulary words

People also searched

small official dead foreign natural serious nature born