posturing

American  

[pos-cher-ing] / ˈpɒs tʃər ɪŋ /

noun

1. speech or action that is artificial, hypocritical, or calculated to mislead.

   I'm fed up with the reaching-across-the-aisle posturing intended to make politicians seem like they’re working hard for bipartisan reform.

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adjective

1. engaging in or characterized by such speech or behavior.

   He cynically believes that anybody trying to live up to an ideal is either a posturing liar or a simple-minded fool.

Etymology

Origin of posturing

First recorded in 1620–30; postur(e) ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun; postur(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective

Example Sentences

Posturing, perhaps, ahead of negotiations by each country to get their best deal.

From BBC • Jul. 28, 2023

Here we find a different formative lesson: Posturing with bared teeth will cow your foes into submission.

From Slate • Jan. 24, 2018

Posturing aside, when Rubio talks about the “insecurity” that “has coiled itself” around the lives of hard-pressed people, he actually sounds like he understands it.

From The New Yorker • Dec. 13, 2014

A Rapper Trades Hermès Style For Old-Fashioned Posturing In 45 minutes of almost nonstop bluster at the Nokia Theater on Thursday night, Lloyd Banks squeezed in one minute for another mode of persuasion: humility.

From New York Times • Apr. 30, 2010

Posturing was her scorn, but no one spoke more ardently of the things she admired.

From The Crown of Life by Gissing, George

Related Words

• charade
• cloak
• pretext
• semblance
• veneer