hubris

American  

[hyoo-bris, hoo-] / ˈhyu brɪs, ˈhu- /

noun

1. excessive pride or self-confidence; arrogance.

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hubris British  

/ ˈhjuːbrɪs /

noun

1. pride or arrogance

2. (in Greek tragedy) an excess of ambition, pride, etc, ultimately causing the transgressor's ruin

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Other Word Forms

• hubristic adjective
• nonhubristic adjective
• unhubristic adjective

Etymology

Origin of hubris

First recorded in 1880–85, hubris is from the Greek word hýbris insolence

Explanation

Hubris is an excess of confidence: a boxer who shouts "I'm the greatest!" even though he's about to get pummeled by a much stronger opponent is displaying a lot of hubris. Hubris is from Greek, where it meant "excessive pride, violating the bounds set for humans" and was always punished by the gods. We no longer have the Greek gods, so in English it just refers to over-the-top self-confidence. If you call yourself the best in something, you better have the goods to back it up, since too much hubris can lead to embarrassment and humiliation. It's an age-old human failing: pride goeth before the fall.

Example Sentences

Moreover, for Aristotle, hubris is not an offense against the gods but is characterized by acts that dishonor other persons.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

My main issue is the hubris of it all — and the people who enabled it.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

For some, the rise and fall of Brewdog has been a cautionary tale of unchecked ambition, rapid expansion and hubris.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

That image of Bush has become a meme — a symbol of presidential hubris that any leader with a drop of sense would seek to avoid at all costs.

From Salon • Feb. 17, 2026

What we did was terrible, but still I don’t think any of us were bad, exactly; chalk it up to weakness on my part, hubris on Henry’s, too much Greek prose composition—whatever you like.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Related Words

• audacity
• chutzpah
• cockiness
• pretension
• vanity