/prɪˈtɛnʃəs/ adjective. Britannica Dictionary definition of PRETENTIOUS. [more pretentious; most pretentious] disapproving. : having or showing the unpleasant quality of people who want to be regarded as more impressive, successful, or important than they really are.
Pretentious people may falsely believe that others see them as authentic and genuinely refined. Or it could be that they know what impression they make on others, but they would rather be seen as affected and uppity than as plain and ordinary, and they don't know how to pull off authentic and sophisticated.
Know their secret. Overconfident people are often quite insecure, and they cover up their insecurities through dominating and controlling others. They find it hard to admit being wrong, and they will often cling to a belief even in the face of evidence that it's outdated or wrong.
If you say that someone or something is pretentious, you mean that they try to seem important or significant, but you do not think that they are. [disapproval] His response was full of pretentious nonsense. Synonyms: affected, mannered, exaggerated, pompous More Synonyms of pretentious.
pretentious / portentous
Fake mobsters in suits and spats are pretentious. But a horse head in your bed? That's portentous.
On the one hand, it's a real shame because “pretentious” is a fantastically declarative-sounding insult, and unlike other teen favorites such “poseur”, it still packs a punch when adults hear it directed at them.
The adjective unpretentious is perfect for describing someone you know who's modest and natural and never tries to impress other people. Pretentious comes from the Latin word meaning "pretend," prætensus, so when you're unpretentious, you see no reason to pretend.
Being pretentious is a bad idea for several reasons: it alienates people, it suggests you're smarter than perhaps you actually are, and it invites unfriendly scrutiny.
Sesquipedalian can also be used to describe someone or something that overuses big words, like a philosophy professor or a chemistry textbook. If someone gives a sesquipedalian speech, people often assume it was smart, even if they don't really know what it was about because they can't understand the words.
Narcissists are insecure because they have a deep-seated need for validation and attention from others. They often try to overcompensate for this insecurity by seeking power and control over others… and constantly seeking confirmation of their own self-importance.
Being a pretentious snob is only covering up the fact that someone is fearful, ungrateful and doesn't know who they truly are. It's like being an actor in a movie except you play the part of what social media tells you to do. He got a car, so I need a car. She got a new outfit, so I need a new outfit.
It means they're accusing you of putting on an act… It means that you are trying to put on airs. That means that you are trying to act more sophisticated than you actually are.
A pretentious person is pretending (same etymology) to be something or someone he or she is not. An ostentatious person, on the other hand, delights in flaunting who he or she is and/or what they have. An expression which may reflect the lifestyle of the "rich and famous" is "conspicuous consumption"!
It is an adjective which means having or showing a modest or low estimate of one's importance. For example: I felt very humble meeting her. As we have analyzed all the given options, we can easily figure out the correct answer. Here, the word opposite in meaning to the word “pretentious” is “humble”.
Jerk is also a very unflattering term for an obnoxious person.
bashfulness. celibacy. chastity. constraint.
“Some of the most common insecurities and relationships include emotional insecurity, attachment insecurity, physical insecurity, financial insecurity, professional insecurity, and social insecurity,” explains LaTonya P.
“Talking too much, or not talking at all, is a telltale sign of insecurity,” says Wood. “Insecure people are self-focused rather than connection-focused, so they don't pick on normal conversational cues.
One sign of insecurity is low self-esteem or negative self-image, particularly when that image seems to be inconsistent with external observation. Low self-esteem means you think badly about yourself or your abilities. It can lead to other problems, especially concerning mental health.