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; see origin at pose ¹, -eur

Explanation

"Strike a pose," sang Madonna in her most famous song, "Vogue." But if the pose you're striking is fake, pretentious, or arrogant, you're a poseur. Be yourself: it's cooler. It's one thing to be smart, funny, or cool. It's another thing to pretend to be that way: that's the life of a poseur. (Say it in the French way: poh-ZUHR.) It's all too easy to spot a poseur from their ridiculous posing. Why poseurs think that they come across as anything other than fake is beyond me. They must be really insecure to think they need to pretend to be something they're not. Every once in a while, though, a poseur can fake it till they make it. Then they're no longer a poseur.

Example Sentences

Craig is no Nick Adams, but did Sternbergh project his own impostor syndrome onto Daisy’s poseur husband?

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2023

But he comes off like a rich poseur trying to make idealism his #brand, manically quoting progressive catchphrases the way he spat bad rap at a Season-2 party for Logan.

From New York Times • Oct. 14, 2021

Tom Callahan, an ex-Marine, knows a flimflammer, a bugiardo, a poseur, a gasconader when he hears one.

From Golf Digest • May 6, 2020

Yet he’s too often regarded as a tough guy, a poseur Mafia don who’s osmotically absorbed too many gangster movies.

From Salon • Oct. 15, 2019

He heard their excited argument, and then, an intentional poseur, he shook each paw daintily in turn, stepped delicately down from the rocks, and vanished from the men’s sight.

From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford