Pompous
//ˈpɒmpəs// adj
adj ·Common ·High school level
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Affectedly grand, solemn or self-important.
"But man is a Noble Animal, splendid in ashes, and pompous in the grave, solemnizing Nativities and Deaths with equal lustre, nor omitting Ceremonies of bravery, in the infamy of his nature."
Adjective
- 1 puffed up with vanity wordnet
- 2 characterized by pomp and ceremony and stately display wordnet
Example
More examples"It's much too pompous for such a trivial thing."
Etymology
From Middle English pompous, from Old French pompeux, pompos, from Late Latin pomposus, from Latin pompa (“pomp”), from Ancient Greek πομπή (pompḗ, “a sending, a solemn procession, pomp”), from πέμπω (pémpō, “I send”), equivalent to pomp + -ous. Doublet of pomposo.
Related phrases
More for "pompous"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.