Synonyms for pomposity
Most common
self-importance pretension ostentation pretentiousness solemnity
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Self-importance
self-importance, pretentiousness, ostentation, pretension, pompousness, inflation, puffiness, ostentatiousness, splashiness
2. Arrogance
Other
Definitions
- n. 1
The quality of being pompous; self-importance.
With their super-formal tone and heavy use of jargon, legal documents are renowned for their pomposity.
Forms
- Plural
- pomposities → pretentiousnesses, ostentations, pretensions, pompousnesses…
Choose the right word
Pomposity and pompousness are the affectation of pomp.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- pretension The strain of his pretension is just too much to bear.
- ostentation Tom did it all with characteristic ostentation.
- pretentiousness His pretentiousness is irritating.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| pomposity | steady | |
| pretension | steady | |
| ostentation | steady | |
| pretentiousness | falling | |
| solemnity | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 7 letters
- bombast2
- 9 letters
- inflation3, arrogance3, solemnity4, puffiness
- 10 letters
- pretension3
- 11 letters
- ostentation4, pompousness3, splashiness
- 14 letters
- grandiloquence
- 15 letters
- pretentiousness
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (bombast2 = 2 syllables).