• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

affected, grandiose, highfalutin, ostentatious, pompous; also grandiloquent, high sounding, sententious; arrogant, complacent, conceited, egoistic, egotistic, important, overweening, prideful, proud, self-assertive, self-important, self-satisfied, smug, uppity, vain, vainglorious; cavalier, disdainful, haughty, lordly, snobbish, stuck-up, supercilious, superior; confident, self-assured, self-confident, sure; boastful, braggart, bragging; aggressive, assertive, audacious, bold, brassy, cheeky, cocky, forward, impudent, insolent, rude; flashy, flaunting, gaudy, showy

Antonyms

modest, unpretentious

pre·ten·tious·ness noun : the quality or state of being pretentious

Synonyms

affectation, arrogance, haughtiness, loftiness, pretense, pretension, self-importance, superiority—more at ARROGANCE

pret·er·it or pret·er·ite noun : a verb form expressing action in the past

pre·term adjective : of, relating to, being, or brought forth by premature birth

pre·ter·nat·u·ral adjective 1 : exceeding what is natural

2 : inexplicable by ordinary means

— pre·ter·nat·u·ral·ly adverb

Synonyms

metaphysical, superhuman, supernatural, unearthly—more at SUPERNATURAL

pre·text noun : a purpose stated or assumed to cloak the real intention or state of affairs

pret·ti·fy verb -fied; -fy·ing : to make pretty

— pret·ti·fi·ca·tion noun

pret·ti·ness noun : the quality or state of being pretty

Synonyms

attractiveness, beauty, comeliness, handsomeness, looks, loveliness—more at BEAUTY

1pretty adjective pret·ti·er; -est [ORIGIN: ME praty, prety, fr. OE prættig tricky, fr. prætt trick]

1 : pleasing by delicacy or grace : having conventionally accepted elements of beauty <~ flowers>

2 : MISERABLE, TERRIBLE

3 : moderately large

4 : PLEASANT

— pret·ti·ly adverb

Synonyms

attractive, beautiful, fair, handsome, lovely—more at BEAUTIFUL

2pretty adverb : in some degree : MODERATELY

Synonyms

enough, fairly, kind of, moderately, quite, rather, so-so, somewhat, sort of—more at FAIRLY

3pretty verb pret·tied; pret·ty·ing : to make pretty

pretty boy noun : a man who is notably good-looking

pret·zel noun [ORIGIN: G Brezel, ultim. fr. L brachiatus having branches like arms, fr. brachium arm]

: a brittle or chewy glazed usu. salted slender bread often shaped like a loose knot

prev abbreviation previous; previously

pre·vail verb 1 : to win mastery : TRIUMPH

2 : to be or become effective : SUCCEED

3 : to urge successfully <~ed upon her to sing>

4 : to be frequent : PREDOMINATE

5 : to be or continue in use or fashion

— pre·vail·ing·ly adverb

Synonyms

[1] conquer, triumph, win—more at WIN

usually prevail over [1] beat, defeat, master, triumph, win

usually prevail on or prevail upon [3] argue, convince, get, induce, move, persuade, satisfy, talk, win—more at PERSUADE

[5] hold, hold out, keep up, last, survive—more at HOLD OUT

prev·a·lent adjective : generally or widely existent : WIDESPREAD

— prev·a·lence noun

pre·var·i·cate verb -cat·ed; -cat·ing [ORIGIN: L praevoricari to act in collusion, lit., to straddle, fr. prae in front of + varicare to straddle, fr. varus bowlegged]

: to deviate from the truth

Synonyms

fabricate, fib, lie—more at LIE

pre·var·i·ca·tion noun 1 : the act or an instance of prevaricating

2 : a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth

Synonyms

fabrication, fairy tale, falsehood, falsity, fib, lie, mendacity, story, tale, untruth, whopper—more at LIE

pre·var·i·ca·tor noun : one who evades or perverts the truth

Synonyms

fibber, liar—more at LIAR

pre·vent verb 1 : to keep from happening or existing

2 : to hold back : HINDER, STOP <~ us from going>

— pre·vent·able also pre·vent·ible adjective

— pre·ven·tive adjective or noun

— pre·ven·ta·tive adjective or noun

Synonyms

avert, forestall, help, obviate, preclude; also anticipate, provide; negate, neutralize, nullify; avoid, save; baffle, balk, checkmate, deter, foil, frustrate, thwart;