Pretentious

Pronunciation: /prɪˈtɛnʃəs/

Definitions of pretentious

adjective Attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed.

Example Sentences

A1 She thought the new restaurant was too pretentious with its fancy decor and high prices.

A2 He always wears designer clothes and acts pretentious around his friends.

B1 The art exhibit was criticized for being pretentious and inaccessible to the average viewer.

B2 She came across as pretentious when she started name-dropping famous people she claimed to know.

C1 The author's writing style was often criticized for being overly pretentious and self-indulgent.

C2 Some critics argue that the director's latest film is pretentious and lacks substance.

Examples of pretentious in a Sentence

formal The art critic dismissed the painting as pretentious and lacking in genuine emotion.

informal She always talks about her expensive taste in wine, but I think it's just pretentious.

slang Why is he always acting so pretentious around us?

figurative His pretentious attitude was like a thick fog, obscuring any genuine connection we could have had.

Grammatical Forms of pretentious

• past tense: pretended
• plural: pretentious
• comparative: more pretentious
• superlative: most pretentious
• present tense: pretends
• future tense: will pretend
• perfect tense: has pretended
• continuous tense: is pretending
• singular: pretentious
• positive degree: pretentious
• infinitive: to pretend
• gerund: pretending
• participle: pretended

Origin and Evolution of pretentious

First Known Use: 1601 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'pretentious' originated from the Latin word 'praetendere' which means 'to stretch forth, pretend'.

Evolution of the word: Originally used to describe something that is claimed or presented as more important or special than it actually is, the word 'pretentious' has evolved to also connote a sense of being showy or ostentatious in a negative way.