hubris
Americannoun
noun
-
pride or arrogance
-
(in Greek tragedy) an excess of ambition, pride, etc, ultimately causing the transgressor's ruin
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Policymakers and private-sector actors should caution themselves against hubris.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
It’s an absorbing tale of scientific and technological achievement, political and military hubris, and the story of ordinary people being caught up in other people’s bad decisions—and dying as a result.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026
“With only having my hubris as my guide, what I allowed myself to receive — it didn’t result in the healthiest choices,” he told GQ.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 14, 2026
"We are quite different people - very much yin and yang - but I think decisions are better made with two brains rather than one as it stops hubris," says Begg, who is London-based.
From BBC • Jan. 12, 2026
I bring up McCandless’s hubris and the dumb mistakes he made—the two or three readily avoidable blunders that ended up costing him his life.
From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
