Pompous means showing off self-importance with grand words and airs. A pompous speech, a pompous little man, sound pompous.
It is always an insult, and it is aimed at manner rather than at achievement — somebody genuinely important can be pompous and so can somebody entirely unimportant. Pompous language is long words used to sound impressive. Note pomposity; pomp, which is ceremonial display and is neutral — pomp and circumstance; and that the difference between pomp and pompous is whether the occasion justifies it.
1adjectivepompousShowing off self-importance with grand words and airs.
“The pompous professor used long words just to show how clever he was.”
synonyms: arrogant, self-important
pompous is a quality of self-importance.
Also accepted in games: arrogant
Latin pomposus comes from pompa, a solemn procession, from Greek pompe, a sending or escort. Pomp was the parade itself, and pompous is behaving as though one were permanently in progress.
Latin
pomposus
Old French
pompeux
Middle English
pompous
English, today
pompous
Built from
From Middle English pompous, from Old French pompeux, pompos, from Latin pomposus, from Latin pompa (“pomp”), from Ancient Greek πομπή (“a sending, a solemn procession, pomp”), from πέμπω (“to send”), equivalent to pomp + ous. a doublet of pomposo.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA