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
Total self-assurance is exactly how Sonny, like Pitt, gets away with his pretension.
From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2025
I find them endearing, like something that somebody made with absolutely no pretension for it to be art.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2025
There was a baby-knit culotte and matching polo with Gucci stripe detailing, worn without pretension.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 22, 2023
It’s a city that prides itself on its open-mindedness, its lack of pretension, and its homegrown slang.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
In Britain, the “angry young men” movement led by John Osborne in the theater was underway, and the social pretensions and expertly crafted witticisms of Coward’s comedies had fallen out of fashion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
In short, it was perfect for an adolescent boy of burgeoning but unformed pretensions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 2026
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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