pretension — An attempt to make people believe something about you that is not true, especially that you are more important or clever than you really are
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: An attempt to make people believe something about you that is not true, especially that you are more important or clever than you really are
Pronunciation (IPA): /prɪˈtenʃən/
Example Sentences
- He walked into the coffee shop with such pretension, ordering in fake French even though he only knew 'croissant.'
- The critic dismissed the film as full of artistic pretension without any real substance.
- My cat has serious pretensions of being a lion, judging by how it stalks the living room.
pretension
NOUN[/prɪˈtenʃən/]
An attempt to make people believe something about you that is not true, especially that you are more important or clever than you really are
His pretension of being a wine expert collapsed when he mispronounced every label.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Latin praetendere, meaning 'to stretch forth' or 'to claim falsely', combining prae- (before) and tendere (to stretch).
Breakdown
prae- (before) + tend- (to stretch/claim) + -sion (noun suffix)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“He walked into the coffee shop with such pretension, ordering in fake French even though he only knew 'croissant.'”
“The critic dismissed the film as full of artistic pretension without any real substance.”
“My cat has serious pretensions of being a lion, judging by how it stalks the living room.”
“She spoke without any pretension, making everyone feel comfortable around her.”
“His pretension to being a gourmet chef fell apart when he burned instant noodles.”
📚Related Words
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