Words / C2

pri-TENSH-uh-s/prɪˈtenʃəs/

Pretentious means trying to appear more important, cultured, or clever than you are — showing off a status you have not earned. Proud is different: pride can be honest satisfaction in real work; pretentious is the fake display. Show-off is everyday and informal; pompous stresses self-importance in manner. Pretension is the noun. In speech, trying too hard or up itself (informal British) is the sting. A difficult word is not pretentious if it is the right word.

Meaning

Trying to appear more important, cultured, or clever than you are (not simply proud).

Examples

• “The menu was pretentious and hard to read.”
• “The menu was pretentious and hard to read; the food was pie.”
• “Proud of a first is fair; pretentious is quoting Latin to order coffee.”

Good to know

Showing off culture/status you have not got. Contrast: proud = justified self-respect. Everyday: trying too hard. Noun: pretension. Not “difficult”.

Near in meaning

pompous

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