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pretentious

Adjective

IPA /prɪˈtenʃəs/

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Meaning in plain English

Trying too hard to seem more important, cultured or intelligent than you really are, in order to impress.

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Pronunciation

pretentious/prɪˈtenʃəs/

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An ordinary cup of tea
Described as an exclusive masterpiece

Pretentious language tries too hard to make something seem impressive.

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The café's pretentious menu made ordinary toast sound like a rare delicacy.
His presentation sounded pretentious because he used complicated words unnecessarily.

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The café's ________ menu made ordinary toast sound like a rare delicacy.

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pretentious — Trying too hard to seem more important, cultured or intelligent than you really are, in order to impress.

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Trying too hard to seem more important, cultured or intelligent than you really are, in order to impress.

Compare: The café's pretentious menu made ordinary toast sound like a rare delicacy.

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Word origin

From French pretentieux, related to pretention and ultimately Latin praetendere, meaning to claim or put forward.

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Pretentious can describe a person, their behaviour, language or a style of presentation.

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