pretentious

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

For Parrot, it would be "pretentious" for the club to consider themselves as a model for other Ligue 1 sides in terms of navigating financial uncertainties.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

In Tim Burton’s breakthrough film, O’Hara played tragically hip Delia Deetz, the pretentious and self-absorbed stepmother of Winona Ryder’s Lydia.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2026

One might say that, three years ahead of the show’s jump to YouTube, Academy voters are making a concerted effort to distance themselves from the perception that the Oscars are elitist and pretentious.

From Salon • Jan. 23, 2026

Johnson’s narrative is enlivened by its colorful cast, particularly the exuberant, and possibly fraudulent, Conte Querini of Venice, and the imperious and pretentious playwright Dorothy Merlin.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

Respectable people do not become painters: only overblown, pretentious, theatrical people.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood