poseur

American  

[poh-zur, paw-zœr] / poʊˈzɜr, pɔˈzœr /

noun

plural

poseurs

1. a person who attempts to impress others by assuming or affecting a manner, degree of elegance, sentiment, etc., other than their true one.

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poseur British  

/ pəʊˈzɜː /

noun

1. a person who strikes an attitude or assumes a pose in order to impress others

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Usage

What does poseur mean? A poseur, commonly spelled poser, is when you act like someone you're not or when you're perceived to be inauthentic. So-called emo scene kids might be called poseurs.

Etymology

Origin of poseur

From French, dating back to 1880–85; pose ¹, -eur

Example Sentences

I have little doubt that he resents real scientists, as poseurs always do when confronted with the real thing.

From Salon

“I’m not stupid. I know I’m supposed to keep everything a secret. No, I just told him that I’ve got some royalty in the family. And quit judging me, I know I’m a poseur!”

From Literature

And Daniel Johnson in the Telegraph called him “a prancing poseur”: “Past presidents like Resistance hero General de Gaulle felt no need to show off.”

From Seattle Times

Does this purveyor of nonfiction cinema have any real truth to express, or is he just a poseur, a sham, a sellout?

From Los Angeles Times

Like trolls and sanctimonious poseurs, influencers goose Twitter's algorithm by appealing to base instincts.

From Salon