1
as in arrogance
an exaggerated sense of one's importance that shows itself in the making of excessive or unjustified claims
offended by the pompousness of the minor official
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in vanity
an often unjustified feeling of being pleased with oneself or with one's situation or achievements
the pompousness of the self-made billionaire was evident in the gaudy mansion he built for himself
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 pompousness
Any claim for Swift’s genius should reckon with her lapses into imprecision and pompousness.
—
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pompousness
Noun
-
Think about the arrogance behind that.—
Jovani Patterson,
Baltimore Sun,
16 May 2026
-
But his temper and arrogance were equally unparalleled, constantly leading him to argue with authority figures, from referees to his own managers.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The dresser has a classic silhouette with minimalist details like tapered legs and oiled hardware, and the mirror doubles as a vanity.—
Shea Simmons,
PEOPLE,
17 May 2026
-
That lack of vanity becomes the greatest weapon of My Duchess.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
More Crucial Nvidia’s superiority is most evident in training.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
The aircraft has played an important role in strengthening Israel’s aerial superiority and long-range strike capacity.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The deepest reason for this near-universal futility is that most of us remain imprisoned by the delusions of the ego, suffering from alternating cravings and revulsions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
-
This requires a different balancing of one's own ego, which in this context, is not self-confidence but the prioritizing of the collective outcome.—
Naira Velumyan,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Signing Rasmus Dahlin, Tage Thompson, Mattias Samuelsson and Power to long-term deals is also a source of pride for Adams.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
-
Three days later, on February 12, community members joined to raise the flag again, and to date, the pride flag to stands outside the monument, along with several more smaller flags adorning the area.—
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
Excitement—and smugness—hangs in London’s air since the city has gained its own outpost of the sceney eatery.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Their attitude, their smugness was palpable.—
Kels Dayton,
Hartford Courant,
21 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pompousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pompousness. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
