put on airs
Feign social elevation
To put on airs is to behave in an affected, pretentious manner—acting superior or more refined than one actually is.
Someone putting on airs might adopt a haughty tone, affect sophistication, or pretend to wealth or status they don't possess: Ever since she got promoted, she's been putting on airs.
The phrase is mildly critical, suggesting the behavior is transparent and unbecoming.
- strutProud, showy gait
- pretenseDeceptive outward show
- frontForward-facing side
- affectationArtificial behavior for effect
- postureBody position, alignment
facade · haughty · act · show off · supercilious · preen · snobbery · holier than thou · conceit · swagger · too big for one's britches · social climbing · lord it over · smirk · false modesty · masquerade · above it all · fancy
- idiomstime flies, hit the sack, seize the day, ring a bell, break a leg
- mannersetiquette, manners, polite, rude, politeness
- showing offboasting, bragged, show off, bragging, boasted
- hypocrisyhypocrisy, hypocrite, sanctimony, two-faced, self-righteousness
put on airsbe yourself
Embrace your authenticity
be authentic · keep it real · be oneself · act naturally · be honest
air, put, airs, airing, puts, aired, airless, putter, aeration