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.

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

The couple knew immediately that the piece had to be featured in their property, but they wanted to come up with a way to make it appear less pretentious, she continued.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 17, 2025

The 87-year-old Pulitzer finalist and Twitter legend Joyce Carol Oates, whose “laboriously pretentious drivel” would be less enjoyable than “eating a bag of sawdust,” per the world’s wealthiest man.

From Slate • Nov. 13, 2025

She had dismissed him years ago as a smooth and pretentious sleekness.

From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov