pompous
/ˈpɑmpəs/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.06 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Example Sentences
- "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."
- "Not that the parting speech caused Amelia to philosophise, or that it armed her in any way with a calmness, the result of argument; but it was intolerably dull, pompous, and tedious; and having the fear of her schoolmistress greatly before her eyes, Miss Samuel did not venture, in her presence, to give way to any ebullitions of private grief."
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, “to send”), equivalent to pomp + -ous. Doublet of pomposo.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈpɑmpəs/
- British English: /ˈpɒmpəs/
Inflected Forms
more pompous (comparative)
most pompous (superlative)