highfalutin

or high·fa·lu·tin', hi·fa·lu·tin, hi·fa·lu·tin'

[ hahy-fuh-loot-n ]
See synonyms for highfalutin on Thesaurus.com
adjectiveInformal.
  1. seeming or trying to seem superior, important, etc.; pompous; pretentious.

Origin of highfalutin

1
First recorded in 1830–40; high + falutin (perhaps originally flutin, variant of fluting, present participle of flute)
  • Also high·fa·lu·ting [hahy-fuh-loo-ting, hahy-fuh-loot-n] /ˌhaɪ fəˈlu tɪŋ, ˌhaɪ fəˈlut n/ .

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use highfalutin in a sentence

  • After dinner her father pleaded for a music-hall as against what he called "some highfaluting, teacup English play."

    The Agony Column | Earl Derr Biggers
  • In point of style it is a curious jumble of American sense and Southern highfaluting.

  • Lots of girls would have fibbed, and said they'd fainted, or something highfaluting of that nature.

    The War-Workers | E.M. Delafield
  • Well, you're a nice one with your history to put on these highfaluting, righteous airs, aren't you?

    The Ancient Law | Ellen Glasgow
  • His language in those telegrams and letters was highfaluting and bombastic.

    England and Germany | Emile Joseph Dillon

British Dictionary definitions for highfalutin

highfalutin

hifalutin highfaluting

/ (ˌhaɪfəˈluːtɪn) /


adjective
  1. informal pompous or pretentious

Origin of highfalutin

1
C19: from high + -falutin, perhaps variant of fluting, from flute

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012