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CEFR C2 — Proficiency

Panjandrum

Definition

(rare, humorous) A person who holds a position of authority or influence, especially in a petty or self-important way; a pompous or pretentious individual. Originally coined as a nonsense word in an 18th-century English play, it has since been used to mock self-aggrandizing behaviour.

Example Sentences

1The panjandrum of the local historical society was notorious for his lengthy, self-indulgent speeches.
2Is it not ironic that the most vocal critics of bureaucratic red tape are often the very panjandrums who create and maintain it?
3After a few too many glasses of wine, the normally reserved professor became a panjandrum, holding forth on the minutest details of medieval history.
4The company's CEO was accused of being a panjandrum, more concerned with his public image than with the welfare of his employees.
5There is something deliciously satisfying about watching a panjandrum deflate, their pretensions pricked by a well-timed joke or a dose of reality.

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