as in pretentious
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fancy-pants
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
But no—not good enough for these fancy-pants mathematicians who need their own set of characters just to feel special.
—Eli Burnstein, The New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2023
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
Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 21 July 2024
But no—not good enough for these fancy-pants mathematicians who need their own set of characters just to feel special.
—Eli Burnstein, The New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2023
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
-
Folks in foodie online circles can be pretentious about American-Chinese food.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
28 May 2025
-
González is a fountain of knowledge but also a great educator, explaining things in detail without being pretentious or condescending.—
Claudia Alarcón,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
Adjective
-
Noni finds herself up against Lion’s violent henchmen and women in series of fight-to-the-death encounters aboard the tyrant’s grandiose sailing ship, which lies at the heart of a vast naval fleet.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
9 June 2025
-
The 53-room hotel feels quaint and boutique-like—but the views are grandiose.—
Monica Mendal,
Vogue,
8 June 2025
Adjective
-
At 11:30, as the simultaneously pompous and obsequious gate agent announces the passengers above gold status, the bit, already tilting toward insanity, leaves any attempt to portray a real airport behind and dives fully into Alice in Wonderland–level surrealism.—
John Roy,
Vulture,
8 May 2025
-
Signaling a stark departure from tradition that, over the centuries, had ranged from formal to pompous, Pope Francis began teaching us, from day one, what the most genuine leadership looks like. Humble.—
Eli Amdur,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
In the 1999-00 season, 10 players listed at 5-foot-11 or shorter played significant time, collectively accounting for 3% of all NBA minutes, despite the inflated height measurements back then.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
6 June 2025
-
Even with the burden of tariffs dropping slightly from the inflated levels suggested by some, the impact on the iPhone and the Galaxy audiences will be significant.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
Her hair is of textured gold and crowned with blue, green and purple enamel, accented by old European-cut diamonds and gold beads.—
Anthony DeMarco,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
-
Additional detailing included a deep purple train which is a hue that exudes regality.—
Robyn Mowatt,
Essence,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
The Argentinian pope departed from archaic and ornate accessories favored by Pope Benedict XVI — including his bright red leather loafers — opting for humble, simple robes and sensible black shoes with an orthopedic sole.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
12 June 2025
-
Her dark brown skin and big black eyes are complemented by an ornate white and purple floral outfit, trimmed in lace.—
Jaha Nailah Avery
June 9,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
Periodic maintenance like changing desiccant packs or swapping bloated cells would likely still remain vital.—
Harry Law,
Time,
5 June 2025
-
Didn’t hear of any sightings of President Trump or his minions in Springfield last week, twisting arms to vote for the bloated state budget.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
The stilted writing and direction, sadly, leave a lot to be desired: Emotions are under-explored and the humor misfires, with a perfectly capable cast asked to deliver some truly clunky lines.—
Tomris Laffly,
Variety,
9 June 2025
-
The two traded off lines throughout the always-incendiary new wave classic, and then Rodrigo joined Byrne in some of his signature on-stage moves — bending her knees, running in place, and generally looking his traditional combination of charmingly stilted and impossibly cool.—
Andrew Unterberger,
Billboard,
8 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fancy-pants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fancy-pants. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share