What is the difference between pompous and pretentious

The adjective pretentious means full of pretense, making excessive or unwarranted claims to be important or sophisticated. Notice how these two words are spelled : portentous ends in -tous ; pretentious ends in -t i ous. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content.

Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. Richard Nordquist. English and Rhetoric Professor. Richard Nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and English at Georgia Southern University and the author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks.

Updated March 04, Their arrogance is about themselves and their sense of importance. Pretentious is someone who is affects an air of culture and sophistication. You are pretentious if you try to show you have more talent or knowledge or intelligence than you actually have.

You are pompous if you appear overbearing and self-important. They are both signs of pride but I think you have to do or say something to be pretentious whereas your manner alone is enough to make you pompous. Dictionaries do list them as synonyms, but I would say that the apparent arrogance of the pompous person is based on what he really is, while that of the pretentious person is based on affectation.

Imagine the society of Downton Abbey. An aristocrat who treats commoners with open contempt is pompous. A nouveau riche businessman who puts on airs in the same way is pretentious since, despite his money, he is still a commoner too.

Some who has read a little bit more about a topic than you have but tries to pass himself off as an expert on the topic is pretentious. I see a difference between pomposity and pretentiousness although the dictionary or some dictionaries? To me, pomposity relates to style or manner; it is a fulsome and overbearing way of speaking that is indicative of self-importance but not necessarily knowledge. I see pretentiousness as the belief that one knows more than one really does so the manner of speaking may be brief or expansive — it is the content of it that indicates the pretension.

I think pretentiousness is a way to be pompous. You can be grandiose and overbearing when you are being pompous. Does that make sense?

How about this: the pompous person really has some authority or prestige possibly but not necessarily based on knowledge , but displays it in a vainglorious manner, while the pretentious person merely acts like he has it or wants others to think that he has it.

To me, pompousness implies a high self-esteem. Pretentiousness implies the longing for high self esteem. I still think pomposity is largely a style or manner. One can indicate pretentiousness by style or manner too but it is mainly the content of what is being conveyed. This question is in the General Section. Responses must be helpful and on-topic. To join, you must be at least 13 years old and agree to the terms and conditions.

General Question. Difference between a pompous boy and a pretentious boy? Add Topic 3, questions people. Add Topic 1, questions 51 people. Add Topic questions 73 people.