pretentious

adj

Etymology: From French prétentieux, from prétention, from Latin praetēnsus (“false or hypocritical profession”), past participle of praetendō. Note that pretentious is spelled with a ‘t’, unlike related pretense, pretension. This is due to the French spelling: *-sious does not occur as an English suffix, though -sion and -tion both do.

1. Motivated by an inappropriate, excessive, or unjustified desire to impress others.

   “Her dress was obviously more pretentious than comfortable.”

   “I recall the height of comfort attained by the green-cushioned "first" with starched white antimacassars and a pretentious grey floor mat on which it seemed a sacrilege to stand, as it was embellished with the North Western conception of Britannia, complete with trident.”

2. Marked by an unwarranted claim to importance or distinction.

   “Their song titles are pretentious in the context of their basic lyrics.”

   “The station (1840) was originally Cheltenham but the more grandiose Cheltenham Spa since 1925, which feels a bit pretentious as the town has never allowed itself to assume such airs and graces.”

3. Marked by pretense (not necessarily false pretense); intent upon success; ambitious.

   “... the first definite and pretentious attempt to make the wardrobe trunk a commercial possibility ... The new trunk would be exploited direct to the traveling public, and he had the means for a pretentious start.”