as in affectation
the quality or state of appearing or trying to appear more important or more valuable than is the case
I'd rather be thought of as a person with simple integrity, not a person given to grandiosity and exaggeration
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Recent Examples of grandiosity
Critics such as economist Jeffrey Sachs have warned that the NSS is grounded in grandiosity and Machiavellianism, substituting coercion for cooperation and dominance for legitimacy.
—
Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
Ancher avoided grandiosity, said Lucy Waterson in Apollo.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 29 Jan. 2026
Mise-en-scène remains crucial to maintaining the grandiosity of the Marci experience—his reference pool and peerless lifestyle raps simultaneously enhance each other.
—Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 28 Jan. 2026
Swedish singer-composer Anna von Hausswolff, whose cathedral melodies, intense vocals and doom-laden dirges share much in common with Nordic heavy-metal culture, specializes in mystery and grandiosity.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
Denzel Washington’s shawls in Gladiator II were an extension of the aspiring politician’s grandiosity.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025
Narcissism is defined by long-standing patterns of grandiosity, an extreme need for attention, and fantasies of unlimited brilliance.
—Big Think, 27 Nov. 2025
After all, the first informs the second in ways that are intellectually satisfying to dig into; the latter lends itself to grandiosity.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
All brittleness and bile in the hands of Diego Luna, Valentín’s quiet righteousness rubs up against his cellmate’s grandiosity in all the wrong ways — at first.
—Blythe Marks, Them., 17 Oct. 2025
Alejandro Reyes, Washington Post, 3 Feb. 2026
Ancher avoided grandiosity, said Lucy Waterson in Apollo.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 29 Jan. 2026
Mise-en-scène remains crucial to maintaining the grandiosity of the Marci experience—his reference pool and peerless lifestyle raps simultaneously enhance each other.
—Dylan Green, Pitchfork, 28 Jan. 2026
Swedish singer-composer Anna von Hausswolff, whose cathedral melodies, intense vocals and doom-laden dirges share much in common with Nordic heavy-metal culture, specializes in mystery and grandiosity.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
Denzel Washington’s shawls in Gladiator II were an extension of the aspiring politician’s grandiosity.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2025
Narcissism is defined by long-standing patterns of grandiosity, an extreme need for attention, and fantasies of unlimited brilliance.
—Big Think, 27 Nov. 2025
After all, the first informs the second in ways that are intellectually satisfying to dig into; the latter lends itself to grandiosity.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 31 Oct. 2025
All brittleness and bile in the hands of Diego Luna, Valentín’s quiet righteousness rubs up against his cellmate’s grandiosity in all the wrong ways — at first.
—Blythe Marks, Them., 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grandiosity
Noun
-
For the most part though, For the First Time, Again is weighed down by oversinging and emotional affectation.—
Millan Verma,
Pitchfork,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The self-conscious aspiration to hipness here is unfortunate and decidedly not cool, but some may find such affectations quaint.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Raised on a strict diet of toughness and discipline by his father, Dean arrives with undeniable talent – and an arrogance that quickly earns him enemies.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Things moved about at the top with a little more arrogance and zip but at the bottom was the ever-moving present.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
With a takeout window and a sprawling open-air patio currently patrolled by the world’s noisiest rooster, the modest spot just west of I-95 has become known as a place for warm comfort food without pretension.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The nation was to be purged of continual sin not indeed all of its own doing—due partly to its inheritance; and yet a sin, a negation that gave the world the right to sneer at the pretensions of this republic.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
If there’s not enough space in your vanity to keep the counter clear, a storage cabinet is a great way to keep daily items accessible.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2026
-
So, roughly $300 billion – a 7% gap – separates these three countries from California on this vanity scoreboard.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This is not an e-bike; there are no pedals and, interestingly, no pretense of a bicycle categorization to blur regulatory lines.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Wang faces four counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious injury, one count of kidnapping, and two counts of larceny over $1,200 by false pretense.—
Michelle Lee,
PEOPLE,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grandiosity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grandiosity. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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