poser

¹ American  

[poh-zer] / ˈpoʊ zər /

noun

1. a person who poses.

2. a poseur, especially a person who is trendy or fashionable in a superficial way.

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poser ² American  

[poh-zer] / ˈpoʊ zər /

noun

1. a question or problem that is puzzling or confusing.

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poser ¹ British  

/ ˈpəʊzə /

noun

1. a person who poses

2. informal a person who likes to be seen in trendsetting clothes in fashionable bars, discos, etc

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poser ² British  

/ ˈpəʊzə /

noun

1. a baffling or insoluble question

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Etymology

Origin of poser¹

First recorded in 1885–90; pose ¹ + -er ¹

Origin of poser²

First recorded in 1580–90; pose ² + -er ¹

Example Sentences

He was also a steely, secretive poser who worked overtime to airbrush his image.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

People will call him a poser and he feels like a poser himself.

From Salon • May 20, 2024

Buffy is a Buff-Orpington Sussex cross and is "a bit of a show-off and a bit of a poser", said her owner.

From BBC • May 7, 2023

He is a great poser of riddles, but also also an ingenious solver of problems.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 26, 2021

He was a poser, a braggart, and a tyrant.

From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston