I Swear English › Vocabulary A–Z › Hubris
What does ‘Hubris’ mean?
Extreme pride in oneself, overweening personal estimation of ones one skills and abilities. Example: Hubris can lead to underestimation of other people
Watch: ‘Hubris’ explained
Video transcript
H is for hubris
‘Hubris’ — meaning, origin and synonyms
Hubris is dangerous over-confidence — excessive pride or self-belief that blinds a person to reality. The word comes from ancient Greek, where hubris was the arrogance that offended the gods and led the hero to his downfall.
Good synonyms are arrogance, conceit, overconfidence, self-importance, vanity and presumption. The opposite is humility. The adjective is hubristic, and in stories hubris is very often followed by nemesis — the downfall it invites.
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