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Synonyms
highfalutin
- 2 dictionary resultshigh⋅fa⋅lu⋅tin
[hahy-fuh-loot-n] 
fəˈlut
–adjective Informal.
| pompous; bombastic; haughty; pretentious. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To highfalutin
| high·fa·lu·tin or hi·fa·lu·tin (hī'fə-lōōt'n) adj. Informal Pompous or pretentious: "highfalutin reasons for denying direct federal assistance to the unemployed" (Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.) [Origin unknown.] H.L. Mencken, in his famous book The American Language, mentions highfalutin as an example of the many native U.S. words coined during the 19th-century period of vigorous growth. Although highfalutin is characteristic of American folk speech, it is not a true regionalism because it has always occurred in all regions of the country, with its use and popularity spurred by its appearance in print. The origin of highfalutin, like that of many folk expressions, is obscure. It has been suggested that the second element, -falutin, comes from the verb flute—hence high-fluting, a comical indictment of people who think too highly of themselves. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
