✅ Pretentious describes someone who assumes an air of importance, especially when that importance is exaggerated or undeserved. It can also describe something that reflects this self-important attitude (pretentious writing; a pretentious gallery owner).

✅ Hoity-toity describes someone or something haughty or pompous (A hoity-toity assistant; I don’t like hoity-toity designer stores).

✅ Pretentious and hoity-toity both express the idea that someone is putting on airs in order to make themselves feel superior.

✅ Hoity-toity is an informal term used often in derision or to make fun of someone. Pretentious is a negative term that is more often used to criticize rather than to make fun.

✅ Embellishment refers to decoration (The fashion was for dresses with almost no embellishment).

✅ Froufrou refers to excessive decoration (The costumes were covered in feathers and froufrou).

✅ Embellishment is a neutral word, suggesting a tasteful level of decoration. Froufrou is a more derogatory term, suggesting a level of decoration that is over the top or fussy.

✅ Procrastinate means to delay doing something (I procrastinated starting my homework).

✅ Shilly-shally means to dawdle or to waste time (I shilly-shallied on my way home).

✅ Procrastinate suggests intentionally putting something off, even if you’re using your time productively (I procrastinate on complicated tasks by doing simpler ones).

✅ Shilly-shally suggests being unproductive, whether or not you have something more important to do (I like to shilly-shally whenever I can).