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Webster 1913 Edition

Pretentious

Pre-ten′tious

,

Adj.

[Cf. F.

prétentieux

. See

.]

Full of pretension; disposed to lay claim to more than is one’s; presuming; assuming.

–

Pre-ten′tious-ly

,

adv.

–

Pre-ten′tious-ness

,

Noun.

Definition 2024

pretentious

pretentious

English

Alternative forms

prætentious (rare, pedantic or humorous)

Adjective

pretentious ‎(comparative more pretentious, superlative most pretentious)

Marked by an unwarranted claim to importance or distinction.
Their song titles are pretentious in the context of their basic lyrics.
Ostentatious; intended to impress others.
Her dress was obviously more pretentious than comfortable.

Synonyms

poseur
See also Wikisaurus:arrogant

Antonyms

unpretentious

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

marked by an unwarranted claim to importance or distinction

Arabic: مغرور
Catalan: pretensiós
Chinese:
Mandarin: 做作 (zh) ‎(zuòzuo)
Finnish: mahtaileva
French: prétentieux (fr)
German: protzig, prätentiös (de)
Italian: pretenzioso
Maori: rangiwhata

Norwegian:

Bokmål: pretensiøs

Nynorsk: pretensiøs
Portuguese: pretensioso (pt)
Romanian: pretențios (ro)
Russian: претенцио́зный (ru) ‎(pretencióznyj)
Spanish: pretencioso, macanudo (es)
Swedish: pretentiös (sv)
Turkish: iddialı (tr), kasıntılı (tr)

intended to impress others

Catalan: ostentós
Chinese:
Mandarin: 炫耀的 (zh) ‎(xuànyào de)
Finnish: näyttävä (fi)

Irish: taibhseach
Italian: pretenzioso
Russian: показно́й (ru) ‎(pokaznój)
Turkish: gösterişçi (tr), iddialı (tr)

References

↑ The Concise Oxford English Dictionary [Eleventh Edition]

pretentious in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
pretentious in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
pretentious at OneLook Dictionary Search