a. Chiefly U.S. [f. SOPHOMORE + -IC.] Of or pertaining to, befitting or resembling, characteristic of, a sophomore; hence, pretentious, bombastic, inflated in style or manner; immature, crude, superficial.
1837. Harvardiana, IV. 22. Better to face the prowling panther’s path Than meet the storm of sophomoric wrath!
1852. T. Parker, Ten Serm. Relig., iv. (1863), 68. Our poor pedant, with his sophomoric wit.
1889. W. M. Thayer, Life A. Lincoln, xxiv. 313. It is quite common for an actor to come upon the stage, and, in a sophomoric style, to begin with a flourish.
b. Of persons.
1891. E. Field, Truth about Horace, West. Verse, 22.
| And to students sophomoric | |
| They ’d present as metaphoric | |
| What old Horace meant for facts. |
1900. Speaker, 29 Dec., 346/2. A mere sophomoric wordmonger.
