pretentious
Valid in Scrabble
- Scrabble points
- 13
- Words With Friends
- 16
- Letters
- 11
Definition of pretentious
2 senses · 1 part of speech · etymology included
adj
-
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.”
See all 2 definitions Show less
adj
-
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.”
-
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.”
Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.
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.
Words you can make from pretentious
200+ playable · top: PIROUETTES (12 pts)
Best play pirouettes 12 points9-letter words
14 words8-letter words
59 words- ENTREPOT 10 pts
- ERUPTION 10 pts
- INEPTEST 10 pts
- INPUTTER 10 pts
- ISOPRENE 10 pts
- NEPOTIST 10 pts
- OUTPREEN 10 pts
- OUTSPENT 10 pts
- OUTSTRIP 10 pts
- PENURIES 10 pts
- PEREIONS 10 pts
- PETUNTSE 10 pts
- PIONEERS 10 pts
- POETISER 10 pts
- POETRIES 10 pts
- POINTERS 10 pts
- PORNIEST 10 pts
- PORTENTS 10 pts
- POSTTEEN 10 pts
- POTTEENS 10 pts
- POUTIEST 10 pts
- POUTINES 10 pts
- PRETTIES 10 pts
- PREUNITE 10 pts
- PRINTOUT 10 pts
- PROETTES 10 pts
- PROTEINS 10 pts
- PRUINOSE 10 pts
- PRUNIEST 10 pts
- PURTIEST 10 pts
- PUTTIERS 10 pts
- REPOINTS 10 pts
- RESUPINE 10 pts
- ROUPIEST 10 pts
- SPOTTIER 10 pts
- TREETOPS 10 pts
- TROPINES 10 pts
- TURNSPIT 10 pts
- UNRIPEST 10 pts
- UPSETTER 10 pts
- ESURIENT 8 pts
- INSETTER 8 pts
- INTEREST 8 pts
- NOISETTE 8 pts
- ONERIEST 8 pts
- OUTSTEER 8 pts
- RETINUES 8 pts
- REUNITES 8 pts
- ROUTINES 8 pts
- RUNTIEST 8 pts
- SEROTINE 8 pts
- SNOTTIER 8 pts
- SNOUTIER 8 pts
- STERNITE 8 pts
- TENORIST 8 pts
- TENORITE 8 pts
- TEOSINTE 8 pts
- TRIENTES 8 pts
- TRITONES 8 pts
7-letter words
126 words- EREPSIN 9 pts
- INEPTER 9 pts
- INPOURS 9 pts
- OPENERS 9 pts
- OPENEST 9 pts
- ORPINES 9 pts
- OUTSTEP 9 pts
- PENSTER 9 pts
- PENTOSE 9 pts
- PEONIES 9 pts
- PEREION 9 pts
- PEREONS 9 pts
- PERITUS 9 pts
- PERTEST 9 pts
- PESTIER 9 pts
- PETITES 9 pts
- PETROUS 9 pts
- PETTERS 9 pts
- PETTIER 9 pts
- PINTOES 9 pts
- PIONEER 9 pts
- PITEOUS 9 pts
- POETISE 9 pts
- POINTER 9 pts
- POINTES 9 pts
- PORTENT 9 pts
- POSTEEN 9 pts
- POSTERN 9 pts
- POSTURE 9 pts
- POTEENS 9 pts
- POTTEEN 9 pts
- POTTERS 9 pts
- POTTIER 9 pts
- POTTIES 9 pts
- POUTERS 9 pts
- POUTIER 9 pts
- POUTINE 9 pts
- PRESENT 9 pts
- PRETEST 9 pts
- PROETTE 9 pts
- PRONEST 9 pts
- PROSTIE 9 pts
- PROTEIN 9 pts
- PROTEST 9 pts
- PROTEUS 9 pts
- PROTIST 9 pts
- PTERINS 9 pts
- PUNIEST 9 pts
- PUNSTER 9 pts
- PUNTERS 9 pts
- PUNTIES 9 pts
- PURINES 9 pts
- PUTTEES 9 pts
- PUTTERS 9 pts
- PUTTIER 9 pts
- PUTTIES 9 pts
- REOPENS 9 pts
- REPENTS 9 pts
- REPINES 9 pts
- REPOINT 9 pts
- REPOSIT 9 pts
- REPUTES 9 pts
- RESPITE 9 pts
- RIPOSTE 9 pts
- ROPIEST 9 pts
- SERPENT 9 pts
- SOUPIER 9 pts
- SPINOUT 9 pts
- SPITTER 9 pts
- SPOTTER 9 pts
- SPOUTER 9 pts
- SPUTTER 9 pts
- TIPSTER 9 pts
- TIPTOES 9 pts
- TOUPEES 9 pts
- TOUPIES 9 pts
- TREETOP 9 pts
- TROPINE 9 pts
- ENSUITE 7 pts
- ENTIRES 7 pts
- ENTRIES 7 pts
- ENTRUST 7 pts
- ESTRONE 7 pts
- INTORTS 7 pts
- INTRUST 7 pts
- NETTERS 7 pts
- NETTIER 7 pts
- NEUTERS 7 pts
- NITROUS 7 pts
- NORITES 7 pts
- NUTSIER 7 pts
- NUTTERS 7 pts
- NUTTIER 7 pts
- OESTRIN 7 pts
- ORIENTS 7 pts
- OUTSEEN 7 pts
- OUTSERT 7 pts
- RETINES 7 pts
- RETINTS 7 pts
- RETINUE 7 pts
- RETUNES 7 pts
- REUNITE 7 pts
- ROSETTE 7 pts
- ROUTINE 7 pts
- STENTOR 7 pts
- STINTER 7 pts
- STONIER 7 pts
- STOURIE 7 pts
- STOUTEN 7 pts
- STOUTER 7 pts
- TENOURS 7 pts
- TENTERS 7 pts
- TENTIER 7 pts
- TENURES 7 pts
- TENUTOS 7 pts
- TESTIER 7 pts
- TETROSE 7 pts
- TINTERS 7 pts
- TONIEST 7 pts
- TONSURE 7 pts
- TOURIST 7 pts
- TOUTERS 7 pts
- TRIENES 7 pts
- TRITONE 7 pts
- TRITONS 7 pts
- TRIUNES 7 pts
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