swelled head

noun

1. an inordinately grand opinion of oneself; conceit.

swelled head

noun

1. informal,  an inflated view of one's own worth, often caused by sudden success

Other Word Forms

• swelled-headed adjective
• swelled-headedness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of swelled head¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

“Well, luckily I’m too old to get a swelled head,” Mitchell joked in her acceptance speech.

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Astronauts also tend to have swelled heads, squashed eyeballs, shriveled legs and bones that become more brittle.

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Or so he told Tommy, who punched him in the arm and told him he had a swelled head.

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Take the warnings his mother finds on the Internet and forwards to Lam and his brothers, cautioning them against the dangers of a swelled head.

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You can get a swelled head and think you know so much about the past, you know about the present, that you can predict the future.

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