highfalutin

[hahy-fuh-loot-n] /ˌhaɪ fəˈlut n/

adjective, Informal.

pompous; bombastic; haughty; pretentious.

Also, highfalutin', hifalutin, hifalutin', highfaluting

[hahy-fuh-loo-ting, -loot-n] /ˌhaɪ fəˈlu tɪŋ, -ˈlut n/ (Show IPA).

Origin

1830-40; high + falutin (perhaps orig. flutin, variant of fluting, present participle of flute)

Examples from the web for highfalutin

highfalutin composite plastics aside, the best way of doing this is to use aluminium instead of steel.
Convoluted and highfalutin' language obscures good thoughts, which is a pity.
All fail for the same reason: an overly exuberant desire to cram too many highfalutin ingredients into one dish.
One might ask what a place so highfalutin could offer children, and the answer is simple-afternoon tea and ghost stories.
His trademark voice-over is as highfalutin and half-jesting as his devotees would wish.
Its impact didn't make everybody get all mopey and highfalutin.
But logistics sent that highfalutin plan out the window.

British Dictionary definitions for highfalutin

highfalutin

/ˌhaɪfəˈluːtɪn/

adjective

(informal) pompous or pretentious

Word Origin

C19: from high + -falutin, perhaps variant of fluting, from flute

Slang definitions & phrases for highfalutin

highfalutin

adjective

Overblown and pretentious; bombastic; stilted: take one with ideas less ''highfalutin' ''/ stilted, overstrained, and as the Americans would say, hifalutin

[1848+; origin unknown; originally a gerund, seemingly based on a verb high falute, suggesting a humorous alteration of flute; perhaps fr a blend of highflown with some other element; perhaps fr Dutch verlooten, ''stilted'']