pomp
pomp Lexical Profile
pomp Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Ceremonial elegance, splendor, or magnificent display, especially at a formal public event.
"The royal coronation was celebrated with all the traditional pomp and pageantry of the monarchy."
Ostentatious, vain, or pretentious display intended to project self-importance.
"The mayor's speech was filled with empty pomp rather than practical solutions for the city."
Word Nuance & Usage
While 'pomp' is often neutral or admiring when referring to grand ceremonial pageantry (especially in the fixed phrase 'pomp and circumstance'), its adjective form 'pompous' is almost exclusively pejorative, describing arrogant self-importance.
• Rhymes for pomp
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in Middle English via Old French 'pompe' and Latin 'pompa' from Ancient Greek 'pompē', meaning a solemn procession or sending, derived from 'pempein' (to send).