noun
affectation; ostentation; vanity
A somewhat literary or formal word for showing off one's knowledge, talent, or refinement in a pretentious way. Often used in the phrase 衒気がない (unpretentious).
彼の話し方には衒気が感じられない。
There is no affectation in the way he speaks.
その作家の文章は衒気が強すぎて読みにくい。
That author's writing is too ostentatious and hard to read.