To be pretentious is to make a claim or put on an act to:
A) Fit into a group.
B) Appear "better" than you are or than others.
Pretentious people often fit into 2 groups:
i) Stupid pretentious people who no nothing of the subject they are acting pretentious about.
ii) Clever pretentious people who know about the subject they are acting pretentious about but think this makes them better.
A) Fit into a group.
B) Appear "better" than you are or than others.
Pretentious people often fit into 2 groups:
i) Stupid pretentious people who no nothing of the subject they are acting pretentious about.
ii) Clever pretentious people who know about the subject they are acting pretentious about but think this makes them better.
a) Look I have the same boots as you now! That makes me a true Punk/Goth/Rocker/insert generic group name.
b) You didn't like my poem? Well you probably didn't understand it. It was very deep.
i) I am a goth I love HIM.
ii) I have a degree in Philosophy...I therefore know a little more about theology than you could.
Another Example: My definition of "pretentious" is much better than the others on this site because I have an A in English.
Pretentious people often have no sense of humour and never laugh at themselves.
b) You didn't like my poem? Well you probably didn't understand it. It was very deep.
i) I am a goth I love HIM.
ii) I have a degree in Philosophy...I therefore know a little more about theology than you could.
Another Example: My definition of "pretentious" is much better than the others on this site because I have an A in English.
Pretentious people often have no sense of humour and never laugh at themselves.
by Mike December 19, 2005
eg. Tom-Hey isn't that Megan an arrogant bitch, Steve-Yeah mate, needs to take her head out of her own arse. Tom-Yeah how pretentious
by TommyDLW May 28, 2012
The medical term for when someone manages to get their head so far up their own ass, that you could consider it a medical emergency.
Some call it serious but most people just call it annoying.
More common amongst teens usually emo or goth, but can still be spotted in adults. Best way to deal with these people is to just not give them the time of day.
Some call it serious but most people just call it annoying.
More common amongst teens usually emo or goth, but can still be spotted in adults. Best way to deal with these people is to just not give them the time of day.
by Whycantmynamebetrash August 29, 2018
Someone who throws the word around precariously as if somehow to be better than the other. A hypocrite, heavy flattery and an overbearing need to fit in with cliques.
by Boring Payne March 2, 2010
1. full of pretense or pretension.
2. characterized by assumption of dignity or importance.
3. making an exaggerated outward show; ostentatious.
4. any person who smokes a pipe while sitting in a big leather chair while wearing a fine sweater-vest in his study which is filled with leather-bound books and smells of rich mahogany.
2. characterized by assumption of dignity or importance.
3. making an exaggerated outward show; ostentatious.
4. any person who smokes a pipe while sitting in a big leather chair while wearing a fine sweater-vest in his study which is filled with leather-bound books and smells of rich mahogany.
That pretentious band called Radiohead enjoy smoking pipes while sitting in big leather chairs while wearing fine sweater-vests in their studies which is filled with leather-bound books and smells of rich mahogany.
by gatchabich November 4, 2010
An attitude whereby a person pretends to like a band they don't really like. It is a public view. In private, they'll listen to Abba and Air Supply but would never, ever admit this.
The rich people in Chekhov's stories often pretended to be infatuated with the arts. This idea is my strongest impression of what it means to be pretentious. It implies that a real love of or understanding of the arts is not at all pretentious.
People sometimes are not content with the results of being "the real me," so they reinvent themselves to try and get more dates. Hey, if it's about getting more dates, wouldn't you?
Deep down I guess it could mean that the dude really loves a weird-looking unpopular chick who listens to Air Supply, and though she's smiled at him before, he rejects the idea of lowering himself to her standard because it might affect his "rep." He never asks her out, never gets that one booty that really was meant for him, and wanders aimlessly among other cool people.
So hopefully, pretentiousness is a phase one passes through in the socialization process. Where it becomes chronic, possibly the pretentious persons themselves are the ones harmed the most.
The rich people in Chekhov's stories often pretended to be infatuated with the arts. This idea is my strongest impression of what it means to be pretentious. It implies that a real love of or understanding of the arts is not at all pretentious.
People sometimes are not content with the results of being "the real me," so they reinvent themselves to try and get more dates. Hey, if it's about getting more dates, wouldn't you?
Deep down I guess it could mean that the dude really loves a weird-looking unpopular chick who listens to Air Supply, and though she's smiled at him before, he rejects the idea of lowering himself to her standard because it might affect his "rep." He never asks her out, never gets that one booty that really was meant for him, and wanders aimlessly among other cool people.
So hopefully, pretentiousness is a phase one passes through in the socialization process. Where it becomes chronic, possibly the pretentious persons themselves are the ones harmed the most.
Too bad I overlooked that quiet girl I really liked and wasted my time chasing hot chicks way out of my league. Man, was that pretentious.
by cransauce November 20, 2011
A word that pretentious people use. If one uses the word "pretentious" then they are most likely trying to sound intelligent by using large words, therefore making them pretentious. (This results in a never-ending chain of pretentiousness.)
Bob: "That guy is so pretentious, now excuse me while I go listen to some indie music and be unique."
Larry: "Dude, you're so pretentious."
Larry: "Dude, you're so pretentious."
by imreallypretentious March 1, 2010