overweening

adjective

ˌō-vər-ˈwē-niŋ How to pronounce overweening (audio)
Definition of overweeningnext
1
as in smug
having too high an opinion of oneself a director who has little patience for overweening actors who think they are above taking advice and criticism

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2
as in excessive
going beyond a normal or acceptable limit in degree or amount overweening desire for wealth and fame

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3
as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude an overweening administrator who simply doesn't know how to manage people

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4
as in inflated
extended beyond normal or realistic bounds an overweening national pride that prompted its citizens to denigrate other countries

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of overweening That experience left me with an indelible lesson about the overweening willpower that carried otherwise ordinary men to such heights, or depths, of achievement. — Alfred McCoy, Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026 Henry manages to put in a good, if overweening, performance at Web Horizons, going off-prompter to lament the lack of sincerity in modern life without bothering to relate it back to mobile banking. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 2 Feb. 2026 Stage and screen director Maria Friedman focuses this story tightly on Frank (both figuratively and literally, on film), cursed with overwhelming talent and overweening ambition. — Gemma Wilson, Boston Herald, 5 Dec. 2025 Iraqi nationalism is the ultimate hedge against Iran’s overweening ambitions; no Iraqi wishes for his or her country to become a pawn of Iran. — Linda S. Robinson, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2019 See All Example Sentences for overweening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overweening
  1. smug
  2. excessive
  3. arrogant
  4. inflated
  5. proud
  6. extreme
  7. exaggerated
  8. vainglorious
Adjective
  • Historian Sandgruber describes how Alois Hitler wrote his 1895 letters in a deeply smug, anti-clerical manner that overestimated his abilities.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 June 2026
  • Li at times plays Cola with a smug impetuousness that belies her naivety about this world to a satisfying degree.
    — Sabrina Reed, Forbes.com, 17 June 2026
Definition of smug
Adjective
  • Carrying five tight ends is excessive, so there probably won’t be room for Fidone unless Theo Johnson’s shoulder injury is more serious than initially believed.
    — Dan Duggan, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Interestingly, patient education level or excessive punctuation had little impact.
    — Paul Hsieh, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of excessive
Adjective
  • Each of these decisions laid the groundwork for the war on Iran today, one that started without a clear strategy on the arrogant expectation of a quick victory.
    — Alexander Langlois, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Aug. 2026
  • The data center industry is only one face of an arrogant oligarchy that people believe now runs Congress, the courts, the White House, state legislatures and local governments.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of arrogant
Adjective
  • These include, but are not limited to, contracts granted at inflated costs to Bastien Baudoin, the head of the consultancy firm Tyrex Conseil, and the company Ludoparc, for the building of a children’s playground.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • But Puck’s inflated branding has, over time, come to look almost prophetic.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of inflated
Adjective
  • Turns out America’s enthusiasm for itself has gone into a bit of a rut—more than 80% of Americans felt proud in 2010, but only 53% feel that way today.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The New York Film Festival is proud to welcome back Cinephile for our fifth year of NYFF Trivia Night events during the festival at the EBM Amphitheater!
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of proud
Adjective
  • China is also blocked from accessing ASML’s most advanced extreme ultraviolet (EUV) machines.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Intel is a slightly different case because it’s also caught up in the mania for chip stocks as spending on artificial intelligence creates extreme demand for semiconductors.
    — Norah Rami, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of extreme
Adjective
  • The brothers’ defense lawyers countered that the UK allegations are years old, have not resulted in convictions, and their claims to be wealthy were exaggerated to promote online businesses and to generate attention.
    — Jonny Hallam, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The only-in-New York Scaffold Law adds millions of dollars to every construction project through inflated settlements and insurance costs, much of which is alleged to be driven by fraud and exaggerated claims.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of exaggerated
Adjective
  • Claire’s elective death therefore remains a problematic choice for some viewers, an act of vainglorious selfishness from a woman who was never terribly nice to begin with.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2026
  • Melodramatic and vainglorious, moody and capricious, a fidgety, neurotic hypochondriac, Stalin was a bundle of appalling contradictions.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Feb. 2026
Definition of vainglorious

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Cite this Entry

“Overweening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overweening. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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