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pompous

[pom-puhs]
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR pompous ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

characterized by an ostentatious display of dignity or importance: a pompous minor official.
ostentatiously lofty or high-flown: a pompous speech.
Archaic. characterized by pomp, or a display of stately splendor or magnificence: an impressive and pompous funeral.

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RELATED WORDS

selfish, overbearing, bombastic, presumptuous, imperious, boastful, pretentious, grandiose, self-important, self-centered, affected, bloated, conceited, flatulent, flowery, fustian, grandiloquent, high-flown, important, inflated

Nearby words

  1. pompilid,
  2. pompom,
  3. pompom girl,
  4. pompon,
  5. pomposity,
  6. pompton lakes,
  7. pon,
  8. ponape,
  9. ponca,
  10. ponca city

Origin of pompous

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English word from Late Latin word pompōsus. See pomp, -ous
Related formspomp·ous·ly, adverbun·pomp·ous, adjectiveun·pomp·ous·ly, adverbun·pomp·ous·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for pompous

British Dictionary definitions for pompous

pompous

adjective

exaggeratedly or ostentatiously dignified or self-important
ostentatiously lofty in stylea pompous speech
rare characterized by ceremonial pomp or splendour
Derived Formspompously, adverbpompousness, noun
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
Word Origin and History for pompous

pompous

adj.

late 14c., "characterized by exaggerated self-importance," from Old French pompos (14c., Modern French pompeux) and directly from Late Latin pomposus "stately, pompous," from Latin pompa "pomp" (see pomp). More literal (but less common) meaning "characterized by pomp" is attested from early 15c. Related: Pompously.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper