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Scornful vs Pretentious - What's the difference?

scornful | pretentious |

As adjectives the difference between scornful and pretentious

is that scornful is showing scorn or disrespect; contemptuous while pretentious is marked by an unwarranted claim to importance or distinction.

scornful

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Showing scorn or disrespect; contemptuous.
  • *
  • *:Elbows almost touching they leaned at ease, idly reading the almost obliterated lines engraved there. ΒΆ ("I never) understood it," she observed, lightly scornful . "What occult meaning has a sun-dial for the spooney? I'm sure I don't want to read riddles in a strange gentleman's optics."

    • pretentious

    English

    Alternative forms

    *

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Marked by an unwarranted claim to importance or distinction.
    • Their song titles are pretentious in the context of their basic lyrics.
  • Ostentatious; intended to impress others.
    • Her dress was obviously more pretentious than comfortable.

    Synonyms

    * poseur * See also

    Antonyms

    * unpretentious

    Derived terms

    * pretentiously * pretentiousness

    Related terms

    * pretend * pretender * pretense * pretension

    References

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