poseur

American  

[poh-zur, paw-zœr] / poʊˈzɜr, pɔˈzœr /

noun

plural

poseurs

1. a person who attempts to impress others by assuming or affecting a manner, degree of elegance, sentiment, etc., other than their true one.

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poseur British  

/ pəʊˈzɜː /

noun

1. a person who strikes an attitude or assumes a pose in order to impress others

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Usage

What does poseur mean? A poseur, commonly spelled poser, is when you act like someone you're not or when you're perceived to be inauthentic. So-called emo scene kids might be called poseurs.

Etymology

Origin of poseur

From French, dating back to 1880–85; pose ¹, -eur

Example Sentences

Craig is no Nick Adams, but did Sternbergh project his own impostor syndrome onto Daisy’s poseur husband?

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2023

Tom Callahan, an ex-Marine, knows a flimflammer, a bugiardo, a poseur, a gasconader when he hears one.

From Golf Digest • May 6, 2020

I’m not going to be a poseur and say, “Yes, I love this period, blah blah blah,” but I felt that his art was truly beautiful.

From New York Times • Mar. 13, 2020

Yet he’s too often regarded as a tough guy, a poseur Mafia don who’s osmotically absorbed too many gangster movies.

From Salon • Oct. 15, 2019

“That’s right, I called you a poseur, poseur.”

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline