pretentious

Definition

Motivated by an inappropriate, excessive, or unjustified desire to impress others.

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.

Example Sentences

• "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."
• "Their song titles are pretentious in the context of their basic lyrics."

Related Words