pretentious
adjective /prɪˈtenʃəs/
/prɪˈtenʃəs/
(disapproving)- trying to appear important, intelligent, etc. in order to impress other people; trying to be something that you are not, in order to impress
- That's a pretentious name for a dog!
- It was just an ordinary house—nothing pretentious.
- He's so pretentious!
Word Originmid 19th cent.: from French prétentieux, from prétention from medieval Latin praetensio(n-), from praetens- ‘alleged’, from the verb praetendere ‘stretch forth, claim’, from prae ‘before’ + tendere ‘stretch’.