Pretentious: English Vocabulary List

a person who is annoying because they constantly try to show off how clever or knowledgeable they are

"Do not be such a smart-ass."

"Do not be such a smart ass and answer the question without making a sarcastic comment."

someone who is considered the teacher's favorite student and therefore has advantage over others in the classroom

"She is teacher's pet."

"The other students resented him, believing he was the teacher's pet due to his constant volunteering."

used for saying that someone may appear threatening or aggressive, but their actions or behavior are not as harmful or severe as their words

"His bark is worse than his bite."

"My boss shouts a lot, but his bark is worse than his bite because he is actually very kind."

used to describe a person who behaves in a very traditional and morally conservative manner

"She is always so prim and proper."

"The new teacher is very prim and proper and expects all students to follow every single school rule strictly."

someone who is very strict and thinks in a very traditional way

"The neighbor is a Mrs. Grundy."

"The neighbor is a Mrs Grundy who disapproves of everything the young people in the street do."

used to describe someone who continuously talks about what they are planning to do, but they never do or achieve much

"Do not listen to him, he is all talk."

"The politician is all talk and no action when it comes to solving real problems."

a person who tries to gain the approval of important people by the means of flattery, praise, etc.

"The apple polisher compliments the boss."

"The apple polisher compliments the boss constantly and hopes to get a promotion through flattery."

a serious flaw or weakness in one's character that other people are not aware of

"The hero had feet of clay."

"The famous leader had feet of clay and the public was shocked when his secret crimes were finally exposed."

used to describe a person who tends to say things that sound intimidating when in reality they are afraid to take action

"The dog is all bark and no bite."

"The aggressive neighbour is all bark and no bite because he shouts but never actually does anything."

to praise one's own abilities or accomplishments, often in an exaggerated way

"Do not toot your own horn."

"My coworker is always tooting his own horn about his accomplishments which makes everyone dislike him."

an individual who consistently seeks to appear more clever than others in a manner that can be bothersome

"The wise guy made a sarcastic remark."

"The wise guy made a sarcastic remark and the teacher sent him to the principal's office."

an annoying individual who behaves as if they know everything

"The smart aleck answered every question."

"The smart aleck answered every question but his tone was disrespectful and annoyed the teacher."

a person who insists on giving advice about something even though they are not forced to do so

"He is a backseat driver."

"Even though he wasn't driving, he was a constant backseat driver, criticizing every turn."

a person who tries hard to let others know that they always do the right thing and behave well

"My sister is such a goody two shoes."

"My sister is such a goody two shoes that she has never broken a single rule in her life."