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a word which, as its name suggests, means putting on ‘pretences’; pretending to be something other than what you are. (this is the original meaning)

in modern ignorance, the word is used to discriminate individuals who are perceived to have traits which render their ident-ty more distictive than is deemed socially acceptable by wider society. this meaning of the word is a product of jealousy belonging to those who wish to justify their boring sameness by unfairly attacking those who distinguish themselves as having a sense of originality and freedom.
1) i once saw a lyre-bird trying to sound like a chainsaw on tv. who knew animals could be so pretentious?

2) once i met a woman called angharad who wrote poetry, knew how to dance the tango, and could play the flugelhorn! she didn’t give a f-ck when i called her a pretentious b-tch, probably cos she knew i was right.
trying to sound intelligent by using long, complicated words, even though you don’t know what they mean.
pete: “hey, listen to this. it’s post-hardcore emomathglitch rock. the lyrics really reveal the prerequisite existentialism of the singers inner hades!”

ed: “do you even know what that means”

pete: “um… well, no”

ed: “you’re so pretentious”
#conceited #ostentatious #vainglorious #inflated #euphuistic
to be pretentious is to make a claim or put on an act to:

a) fit into a group.

b) appear “better” than you are or than others.

pretentious people often fit into 2 groups:

i) stupid pretentious people who no nothing of the subject they are acting pretentious about.

ii) clever pretentious people who know about the subject they are acting pretentious about but think this makes them better.
a) look i have the same boots as you now! that makes me a true punk/goth/rocker/insert generic group name.

b) you didn’t like my poem? well you probably didn’t understand it. it was very deep.

i) i am a goth i love him.

ii) i have a degree in philosophy…i therefore know a little more about theology than you could.

another example: my definition of “pretentious” is much better than the others on this site because i have an a in english.

pretentious people often have no sense of humour and never laugh at themselves.
#goth #punk #emo #gothic metal #art #literature #philosophy
adj.
1. a word that is often abused by pseudo-intellectuals.
2. used to arrogantly display one’s own pretentious tendencies by criticizing masterly works or people (e.g. art-rock bands–see. radiohead)
3. evokes strong evidence of hypocrisy in one’s nature.
4. a word that, once applied, unfairly destroys geniuses and their works with one swift and cheap movement of affectation.
i am not pretentious and i make no claims to a position of merit, and therefore i don’t demand that you agree with me.
someone who throws the word around precariously as if somehow to be better than the other. a hypocrite, heavy flattery and an overbearing need to fit in with cliques.
james p. has called mike m. pretentious while he himself acts upon the same precociousness.
#sn-b #clique #arrogant #arrogance #hypocrite
definitely two meanings, and they really depend on the att-tudes of the user, and what the user thinks is fake or real. so:

a) “pretentious” can be a useful phrase to describe something that is fake or pretend, or somebody who is pretending in order to conform. sometimes it is still used that way.

b) its meaning has also become completely the opposite. in the english-speaking world, “pretentious” has become a catch-all phrase to criticize anything or anyone that is vaguely heartfelt, intellectual, earnest, sincere, artistic, unconventional, nonconformist, non-commercial, or not on tv, on youtube or in the supermarket.
take your pick:

a) the blonde in american beauty, angela hayes, lied about having lost her virginity and being s-x-mad. in fact, she was an insecure virgin, and worried about what people would think of her. so she pretended to be a sl-t. she was pretentious.

b) the lonely boy in american beauty, ricky fitts, who thought the plastic bag in the wind was beautiful couldn’t really have thought that, he just wanted to be different from other people, and was pretending to be deep. he was pretentious.
#fake #deep #conformist #boring #intellectual
displaying a self-image of being “special”, “intelligent”, and “different”. not content with being average, and striving to be the best at everything and grabbing all attention. speaking in cliches. having no humility or originality.
af: doubt, give reason to smile. guilt hears false pretenses.
me: what!?
af: the wind caressed my face.
me: your pretentiousness makes me want to staple your mouth shut.
#modest #humble #original #caress #aaaaagh
the most ironic word in the history of language.
-sshole 1: “so prior to meeting you at this location, i was involved in an altercation of the s-xual kind with my girlfriend, it was tremendously refreshing and pleasing to certain glands within my physical being.”
-sshole 2: “you’re being pretentious”
-sshole 3: “pot and kettle”
#irony #paradox #i #can’t #believe #am #wasting #my #time #defining #words #when #should #be #working