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
-
Accusing it of being pretentious, an ego trip, and lacking depth.—
Victoria Uwumarogie,
Essence,
10 Mar. 2025
-
His style and references can seem a little pretentious now.—
Louisa Thomas,
The New Yorker,
9 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Interestingly, men in relationships with women high in grandiose narcissism reported lower satisfaction, as these women heightened their partners’ pressure to appear perfect.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
7 Mar. 2025
-
Related article How being a ‘gray rock’ can protect you against narcissists Now, a new study has found grandiose narcissists are not only more likely to feel ostracized but are also genuinely excluded more often than those with less egocentric personalities.—
Julianna Bragg,
CNN,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Still, this adaptation of an O. Henry story tilts all its sympathies toward the outlaw hero the Cisco Kid (Warner Baxter, in a Best Actor–winning role) and away from the pompous white soldier charged with tracking him down.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2025
-
And every scene and song featuring the hilarious Eric Anderson as the pompous and preening Union Gen. George B. McClellan is a comic gem.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
For all the inflated fan rivalry, Liverpool (Busby’s former club) offered United use of their stadium.—
Michael Walker,
The Athletic,
15 Mar. 2025
-
This substantial debt burden casts a long shadow over inflated valuations and raises critical questions about the long-term viability of these capital-heavy bets.—
Joseph Edgar,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
In the movie, the greedy Odell feasts on a purple unicorn steak and his ex-addict son snorts a line of powdered unicorn horn.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
10 Mar. 2025
-
These sandals feature a sleek, low-profile design and come in eight colors, including green, purple, and cream options.—
Genevieve Cepeda,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Enameled and gilded and madly ornate, installed under ultra-bright lights in a nook-like space — a former butler’s pantry?—
Holland Cotter,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2025
-
While Gomez has forged a refined, ladylike look in powder-blue Prada and anticipatory bridal whites, with ornate custom Ralph Lauren and glittering Armani Prive for her red carpet appearances, Blanco loves pale linens, loud prints, and hippie hemp materials.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Why Leaner Processes Matter Just as extra weight in a triathlon increases drag and reduces efficiency, companies burdened with bloated processes, redundant operations or inefficient systems risk slowing their growth.—
Oscar Chavez-Arrieta,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
-
The subtext was that the family are too nice to do what Ratcliffe thinks needs to be done — namely, take a chainsaw to a bloated workforce.—
Simon Hughes,
The Athletic,
16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
This was a stilted, corrupt attempt to juice a friend’s stock, and certainly beneath the office of the presidency.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2025
-
Overall, the video comes across pretty stilted for most of its run time.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
26 July 2024
Cite this Entry
“Fancy-pants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fancy-pants. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share