pretension
Example Sentences
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“Art film” is a bit of a dirty term, frequently offered with a sneer when discussing a work so dripping with pretension that even an Airblade wouldn’t be of any help.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
In Field’s film, the writer-director slyly lampoons the pretension of figures high up in the worlds of ballet, opera, theater and symphony, as well as more recognizable personas in public-facing industries like film and music.
From Salon ● Mar. 12, 2025
In person, Pierce is gently disarming, with none of the intellectual pretension of Niles Crane.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2023
There was a baby-knit culotte and matching polo with Gucci stripe detailing, worn without pretension.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 22, 2023
In disliking them, I was forced to recognize my own pretension, and that made me hate them even more.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
He has no pretensions, but he’s completely comfortable on camera—something to director Lee’s advantage and which probably helped the pupils to relax.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Kenyon’s dig at “uproarious pedantry” nods to James’s intellectual pretensions, which some courtiers derided—even though a learned monarch seems preferable to an ignorant one.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025
Reflecting on the press, he later noted, "The press has pretensions of being a crusader but is more often a preserver of the status quo."
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2025
Nauman’s, however, is refreshingly without illusions or pretensions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2025
The manor-house of Ferndean was a building of considerable antiquity, moderate size, and no architectural pretensions, deep buried in a wood.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Vocabulary lists containing pretension
Common Sense
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Pygmalion
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The 57 Bus
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