as in pretentious
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Recent Examples of fancy-pants
Hotel-wise, the best place to be is either Kinloch Lodge, for belt-loosening cuisine and sing-worthy service, or Flodigarry Hotel, an off-compass outpost with a fancy-pants design bar and suites that wouldn’t look out of place in the Maldives.
—
Mike MacEacheran, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2025
Partridge was dressed in classic English fancy-pants style, while Rodrigo embraced the vintage preppiness inherent to gingham.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 2 July 2025
The surprise of Clover Hill is not that this sort of food is on offer in an outer borough—with its concentration of zillion-dollar brownstones and fancy-pants residents, Brooklyn Heights isn’t exactly salt of the earth.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 21 July 2024
With crust that's beautifully singed and wondrously puffed, the not-so-basic numbers are polished with fancy-pants ingredients—from Calabrian chile, fennel and sausage to a cacio e pepe riff made with velvety cream sauce, formaggi al pepe and pecorino.
—Brooke Viggiano, Chron, 12 Mar. 2023
Mike MacEacheran, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2025
Partridge was dressed in classic English fancy-pants style, while Rodrigo embraced the vintage preppiness inherent to gingham.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 2 July 2025
The surprise of Clover Hill is not that this sort of food is on offer in an outer borough—with its concentration of zillion-dollar brownstones and fancy-pants residents, Brooklyn Heights isn’t exactly salt of the earth.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 21 July 2024
With crust that's beautifully singed and wondrously puffed, the not-so-basic numbers are polished with fancy-pants ingredients—from Calabrian chile, fennel and sausage to a cacio e pepe riff made with velvety cream sauce, formaggi al pepe and pecorino.
—Brooke Viggiano, Chron, 12 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fancy-pants
Adjective
-
But Newsom’s shadow diplomacy, widely seen as a pretentious distraction during the Biden years, has a different look at a moment of nativism and trade conflict in Washington.—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Elevated with an ever-evolving menu of dishes in a non-pretentious yet upscale environment, Forty 1 is led by Chef Lindsey Dale who is no stranger to fresh, local ingredients, and who also works closely with local purveyors.—
David Duran,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
There was no grandiose plan, but that’s what Jimmy and I knew.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
-
But their rise has also attracted a slew of criticism, fueled in recent decades by the grandiose lifestyles and criminal convictions of some godmen.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
When a pompous male customer refused to be waited on by a female server, Bass quietly approached the table.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Jeffrey Tambor Known for playing the pompous, self-important mayor of Whoville, Jeffery Tambor also has an esteemed career across television and film.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Whereas Apollo space suits were akin to wearing an inflated balloon that greatly hindered motion, the AxEMU is designed with flexible joints that give astronauts mobility to kneel, jog or even do the splits.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Haber said in these contracts, Coto agreed to pay inflated prices for services for the building, including cleaning, security and maintenance.—
Catherine Odom
February 5,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The look includes the team’s deep indigo blue with neon blue, pink and purple diamonds running up the sides and onto the chest.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
11 Feb. 2026
-
In Remy Bumppo Theatre Company’s new production of Henrik Ibsen’s 1891 play, directed by Marti Lyons, the design team takes this line to heart, using a monochrome purple palette to represent Hedda’s claustrophobic world (scenic design by Joe Schermoly).—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Male pufferfish that are trying to win over a female run their fins along the sand, creating ornate circles and patterns to attract a date.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The dining room is truly beautiful, decorated with hanging lights, colorful furniture, paper flowers, and an ornate ofrenda.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Supposedly, that dose of steamy H20 triggers an immediate bowel movement, leaving you lighter, less bloated, more energized, and more ready to tackle your responsibilities overall.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The floor system continues, the payments to banks continue, as does the Fed’s bloated balance sheet.—
Dave Birnbaum,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The stilted, cascading synthesizers of Oneohtrix Point Never are plaintive and seductive.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Jan. 2026
-
The entry-level category lagoon studio suite starts at a generous 788 square-feet of indoor space, coupled with a 1,016-square-foot private patio with a heated plunge pool; for a bit more space, including a generous separate living room, book a stilted room that rests over the water.—
Jacqui Gifford,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fancy-pants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fancy-pants. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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