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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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. superior
  8. exaggerated
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
  • San Francisco police officers would then proceed to smash the driver's window, drag the driver out and pepper-spray him — actions that a San Francisco Department of Police Accountability (DPA) report states were excessive.
    — Jose Fabian, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Even as the busy restaurant bar reaches blatantly excessive noise levels even before Ninh’s fully done with his equipment, neighboring businesses are already having their patience tested.
    — Josh Slater-Williams, IndieWire, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of excessive
Adjective
  • The arrogant, brooding youth is gone almost entirely, and someone far more circumspect and humbled kneels before his older brother.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The Fight for the Soul of College Football, as the Hurricanes’ bold, brash and arrogant style transformed college football into something closer to theater.
    — Emile Nuh, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of arrogant
Adjective
  • Criminal groups often mix real information with inflated claims to increase pressure on a company.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • As shoppers navigate an increasingly inflated economy, the cost of a great pair of jeans has climbed alongside it, with premium denim often reaching into the hundreds.
    — Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of inflated
Adjective
  • This Queens bakery comes from two restaurant-industry veterans and proud Filipinos Kimberly Camara and Kevin Borja, who started a pop-up back in 2020 and quickly developed a cult following that demanded a brick-and-mortar.
    — Kyle Beechey, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Salesforce is proud to be an early investor, customer, and partner.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of proud
Adjective
  • Madrid asked everyone involved to move with extreme discretion.
    — Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • This problem is anticipated to worsen as more AI providers adopt watermarking, creating a fertile environment for scams and deception, thus users are urged to exercise extreme caution.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of extreme
Adjective
  • With technology enabling portable work, hybrid models improve retention and performance, challenging the notion that constant office presence is superior.
    — Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Honestly, our phones probably have superior tech at this point, but there is something special about bringing a digital camera with you to college parties and uploading the folder the next day (for better or worse).
    — Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of superior
Adjective
  • Reports of Usher’s replication have been greatly exaggerated.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Instead, the report names several examples that are indirect, exaggerated and hard to follow.
    — Aaron Coy Moulton, The Conversation, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of exaggerated

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overweening
overweigh
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Cite this Entry

“Overweening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overweening. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of overweening for Spanish Speakers

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