Word a Day
pretentious
What does pretentious mean?
pretentious (adjective): marked by an unwarranted claim to importance or distinction.
Definition: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
How do you use pretentious in a sentence?
- Their song titles are pretentious in the context of their basic lyrics. (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0)
How do you pronounce pretentious?
/pɹiˈtɛnʃəs/ (IPA, American English). The app reads every word aloud.
Where does pretentious come from?
From French prétentieux, from prétention, from Latin praetēnsus (“false or hypocritical profession”), past participle of praetendō.
Etymology: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Words related to pretentious
From Princeton WordNet 3.1.
Test yourself: do you know “pretentious”?
Tap an answer to check it. The same questions the app asks.
What does “pretentious” mean?
lacking the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task
Not quite: that's what inadequate means.
lacking money, poor, impoverished; especially, extremely so
Not quite: that's what destitute means.
disgustingly dirty; filled or smeared with offensive matter
Not quite: that's what filthy means.
marked by an unwarranted claim to importance or distinction
Right! That's what “pretentious” means.
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