Synonyms of pretentious

15 similar words · 11 opposite words

Another word for pretentious is affected. Other synonyms of pretentious are theatrical, hoity-toity, fey, stagy and effete. The opposite of pretentious is humble.

Synonyms and similar words for pretentious

highfalutinSelf-important, pompous; arrogant or egotistical.
genteel
affectedSimulated in order to impress.
effeteAffected, overrefined.
feyOverrefined, affected.
recherchéPrecious, pretentious, affected.
hoity-toityAffected or pretentious, sometimes with the implication of displaying an air of excessive fanciness or ostentation...
overrefinedRefined to an excessive degree.
pansified derogatoryOverly adorned; affected.
precious derogatory
stagyUnnaturally showy.
stilted figurativelyElevated or raised in a contrived or unnatural way; stiff and artificially formal or pompous; also, depending on...
theatricalFake and exaggerated.
WoosterianFoppish and affected.
smug obsoleteIrritatingly pleased with oneself; offensively self-complacent, self-satisfied.

unpretentiousSimple, humble, not pretentious, plain.
humbleNot pretentious or magnificent; unpretending; unassuming.
modestNot bragging or boasting about oneself or one's achievements; unpretentious, humble.
demure
formal
natural
priggishLike a prig.
prim
prudishOf excessive propriety; easily offended or shocked, especially by sexual matters.
puritanical
QuakerishSuggesting or pertaining to the Quakers.

adjective Motivated by an inappropriate, excessive, or unjustified desire to impress others.
adjective Marked by an unwarranted claim to importance or distinction.
adjective Marked by pretense (not necessarily false pretense); intent upon success; ambitious.

What is another word for pretentious?: Pretentious has 15 synonyms on Word.ws, such as affected, theatrical, hoity-toity, fey, stagy and effete.
What is the opposite of pretentious?: The opposite of pretentious is humble. Other antonyms of pretentious are modest, unpretentious, prudish and natural.
What does pretentious mean?: Pretentious means motivated by an inappropriate, excessive, or unjustified desire to impress others.

Adapted from Wiktionary: pretentious (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Cite this page: “Synonyms of pretentious.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/pretentious. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.