Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
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noun
The quality of being pretentious.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Synonyms: pretentiosity, gentility, affectation, affectedness, false pretense, pretending
Antonyms: none provided
noun
the quality of being pretentious (behaving or speaking in such a manner as to create a false appearance of great importance or worth)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: pretension, largeness
Antonyms: unpretentiousness
Broader terms: unnaturalness
Narrower terms: ostentation
noun
lack of elegance as a consequence of being pompous and puffed up with vanity
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: ostentation, ostentatiousness, pomposity, pompousness, puffiness, splashiness, inflation
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: inelegance
History
Etymology tree English pretentious Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English pretentiousness From pretentious + -ness.
Across languages
6 source translations are retained for this English entry.
