pretentiousness
pretentiousness — noun
1. behaviour that shows someone is trying to seem more intelligent, cultured, or im
behaviour that shows someone is trying to seem more intelligent, cultured, or important than they actually are — for example, using unnecessarily difficult words in conversation or showing off expensive belongings to win admiration
Hana rolled her eyes at the pretentiousness of the art critic, who used words that nobody in the room knew.
pretentiousness of + [person / profession]
The film was full of long, meaningless shots with no story — the audience walked out calling it pure pretentiousness.
Adina noticed a growing pretentiousness in her friend's speech after he started attending poetry readings.
There is no pretentiousness in Nikhil's writing; he says exactly what he means in plain language.
The restaurant's menu listed every ingredient in French, and the waiter spoke with a fake accent — pure pretentiousness.
- affectation
suggests a deliberate, unnatural way of behaving or speaking adopted to create an impression, often more about style than intelligence
- pompousness
focuses on a self-important, solemn manner rather than on trying to seem culturally sophisticated
- showiness
emphasises flashy, eye-catching display rather than intellectual or cultural pretence; more about appearance than attitude
文法句型
pretentiousness of [something]
sheer pretentiousness
用法筆記
Typically used as an uncountable noun describing a negative quality. Frequently appears in the pattern 'pretentiousness of + [something/someone]' or with an intensifier such as 'sheer' or 'pure'.
常見錯誤
pretentiousness — adjective
- pretentiousnesspositive
- more pretentiousnesscomparative
- most pretentiousnesssuperlative
1. behaving or speaking as if you are more important, skilled, or intelligent than
behaving or speaking as if you are more important, skilled, or intelligent than you really are, in a way that annoys other people
The professor's pretentious remarks made the students feel he was showing off instead of teaching.
pretentious remarks / showing off
Emre found his date's pretentious comments about wine both boring and dishonest.
pretentious comments about [topic]
Sven gave a pretentious speech full of words he had clearly looked up the night before.
"I am not being pretentious," Amira said. "I just prefer books that actually make me think."
Nobody liked the new manager because of his pretentious attitude and constant name-dropping.
- conceited
focuses on a high opinion of oneself rather than on trying to impress others; more about inner belief than outward performance
- pompous
describes a solemn, self-important manner that is more about formal dignity than about cultural or intellectual showing-off
- vain
centres on excessive pride in one's own appearance or achievements; less about trying to sound intelligent than about admiring oneself
- humble
having a modest opinion of one's own importance; the direct opposite of a self-important attitude
- unassuming
not putting on airs or trying to attract attention; quietly confident without show
文法句型
pretentious + noun (person / remark / speech / attitude)
用法筆記
Describes a person's character or behaviour directly. Often used with nouns like 'remark', 'speech', 'attitude', 'person'. Distinguish from sense 2, which describes objects or designs rather than a person's self-importance.
常見錯誤
2. deliberately designed or decorated to look grand, expensive, or impressive in a
deliberately designed or decorated to look grand, expensive, or impressive in a way that does not match the real quality or value of something
The hotel lobby was pretentious — all gold statues and red velvet that looked cheap up close.
pretentious — [specific showy details]
Camille hated the pretentious packaging of the perfume: a box the size of a shoebox for a tiny bottle.
pretentious packaging
The building's pretentious design tried to copy a French palace but failed because of the poor materials.
Hoa thought the wedding was too pretentious, with three kinds of flowers and a ten-piece orchestra.
The menu described each dish in three languages, but the food was just ordinary — pure pretentious style.
- ostentatious
more formal; describes a showy display meant to attract attention and impress, often through visible wealth
- gaudy
implies tasteless, overly bright or ornamented display; stronger negative judgement than pretentious
- flashy
informal; suggests bright, showy, and attention-grabbing, but not necessarily with the goal of seeming cultured or intellectual
- modest
simple and unpretentious in style; not trying to attract attention through appearance
- understated
elegantly simple and not drawing attention to itself; the opposite of overblown decoration
文法句型
pretentious + noun (design / decoration / packaging / style)
用法筆記
Used for objects, places, events, or designs — not for people. The thing itself is trying to appear more impressive than it really is. Distinguish from sense 1, which applies to a person's behaviour or attitude.