hoity-toity
/'hɔiti'tɔiti/
Definition
- Adjective:
- Affectedly genteel; behaving in a way that is snobbish, haughty, or pretentiously superior. The word describes someone who puts on airs or acts in a manner that is artificially refined to seem more important or sophisticated than they are.
Usage
- The word "hoity-toity" is used as an adjective to describe a person, their behavior, or an attitude. It is informal and often carries a tone of criticism, mockery, or disapproval.
- It is typically used before a noun (e.g., a hoity-toity attitude) or after a linking verb (e.g., She is so hoity-toity).
Examples
- Adjective:
- She adopted a hoity-toity accent after moving to the city.
- I don't like going to that hoity-toity restaurant; the staff is so snobbish.
- He became quite hoity-toity after getting his promotion.
Advanced Usage
- "to get hoity-toity": to start behaving in a snobbish or superior manner.
- Don't get hoity-toity with me just because you read a fancy book.
Variants and Related Words
- Hoity-toitiness (n, informal): The quality of being hoity-toity.
- The sheer hoity-toitiness of the club's members was off-putting.
Synonyms
- Snobbish: Having or showing the attitude of people who think they are better than others.
- Pretentious: Attempting to impress by affecting greater importance or merit than is actually possessed.
- Haughty: Arrogantly superior and disdainful.
- Pompous: Affectedly and irritatingly grand, solemn, or self-important.
Antonyms
- Down-to-earth: Sensible and practical; not pretentious.
- Unpretentious: Not attempting to impress others with an appearance of greater importance, talent, or culture than is actually possessed.
- Humble: Having or showing a modest or low estimate of one's own importance.
Idioms and Phrases
- "put on hoity-toity airs": to behave in a pretentiously superior way.
- Ever since she inherited that money, she's been putting on hoity-toity airs.
Adjective
-
affectedly genteel
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