overweening.

Showing an exaggerated belief in one’s own importance, ability, or right to prevail.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• overweening pride
• overweening ambition

On the page

His overweening confidence survived evidence that would have embarrassed a quieter man.

She resisted the overweening authority he claimed without holding any office.

Usage notes

Primary category: psychological / character. Forms: Comparative more overweening; superlative most overweening where gradation is meaningful. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.