1
as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude
the pompous waiter served us in the manner of a person doing some poor soul a great favor
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in smug
having too high an opinion of oneself
a pompous piano teacher who thought that the music world was lucky to have her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pretentious
self-consciously trying to present an appearance of grandeur or importance
a pompous gambling casino decorated to look like a palace in ancient Rome
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pompous
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
Among the latter is ravenous beaver Nibbles Maplestick (Fortune Feimster, hilarious), who turns out to be a key ally, and pompous new mayor Brian Winddancer (Patrick Warburton), a stallion who used to be an actor.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 25 Nov. 2025
There’s a pompous American grandmaster, Freddie Trumper (Tveit), and his brooding Russian rival, Anatoly Sergievsky (Christopher), who face off at a world chess championship.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pompous
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
Among the latter is ravenous beaver Nibbles Maplestick (Fortune Feimster, hilarious), who turns out to be a key ally, and pompous new mayor Brian Winddancer (Patrick Warburton), a stallion who used to be an actor.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 25 Nov. 2025
There’s a pompous American grandmaster, Freddie Trumper (Tveit), and his brooding Russian rival, Anatoly Sergievsky (Christopher), who face off at a world chess championship.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pompous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pompous
Adjective
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The tricky part of being a celebrity like Firstman on the internet is that some people can conflate your comedic persona (which is maybe a little arrogant, a little colorful) with your real identity.—
Rebecca Ford,
Vanity Fair,
14 May 2026
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Hunter is stubborn, arrogant and gifted enough to play for the Briar hockey team, yet refuses to for reasons the show has yet to reveal.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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But the series’ central character, played by Rachel Weisz, has enough nervous, itchy, manic energy to make the show’s narrative structure feel purposely unstable rather than safely smug.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
-
McDaniels, who cut through the Nuggets’ egos early in the series with fearless words and a smug grin, got the last laugh.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
There’s nothing pretentious here.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 May 2026
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Crafted from 100 percent Italian calf suede and finished with smooth nappa leather, this crossbody bag is elegant from top to bottom without being pretentious.—
Tanya Sharma,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Subsequent photos showed the proud parents smiling in the audience as their daughter walked across the stage to collect her degree, Zahra alongside her friends in their graduation regalia and a glimpse at a family celebration.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
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Paul McCartney is proud of the impact his music has on people.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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The Mario series was maturing alongside the greater video-game landscape, but its childlike essence remained—not through docile cuteness, but through a more grandiose fusion of wonder, whimsy, and wistfulness.—
Billie Bugara,
Pitchfork,
9 May 2026
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Victory Day is one of the most important national holidays in modern Russia, featuring a grandiose parade to celebrate and commemorate its defeat of Hitler’s Wehrmacht in 1945.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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The brand requested Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts to stop using the name, which appears to have been in vain.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
18 May 2026
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Jim must learn to accept a skinny femme like Lucien, while Lucien learns the valuable lesson that Instagram hotness is sometimes attached to a vain, rotten personality.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
Adjective
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There had been ostentatious boats before — automobile millionaire Henry Dodge had commissioned the luxurious but smaller SS Delphine in the 1920s — but Onassis brought floating plutocratic potency into a whole new age.—
Michael Ballaban,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
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Where these collections once prioritized open-toed sandals and breezy silhouettes, more ostentatious and conceptual collections have instead followed suit.—
Alexandra Hildreth,
Vogue,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Self-righteous and self-important, priggish and nagging.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
6 May 2026
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Only this time the interns are boring Gen Z stereotypes (obsessed with TikTok, too sensitive, too emotional, too self-important).—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
25 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pompous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pompous. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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