overweening

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

Also spelled over-weaning, over-weening, and overweaning

US /ˌoʊvɚˈwinɪŋ/ UK /ˌəʊvəˈwiːnɪŋ/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
showing excessive confidence, pride, or presumption

His overweening ambition eventually undid him.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · showing excessive... arrogant presumptuous conceited haughty overconfident supercilious insolent

Opposites

modest humble diffident unassuming

Word family

Derived forms overweeningly

Related forms ween

Etymology

From Middle English overwenen ('to be presumptuous'), from over- ('excessively') plus the archaic verb ween ('to think, suppose'), from Old English wēnan. Literally 'thinking too highly of oneself.'

ofer Old English wēnan Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# overweening

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** ˌoʊvɚˈwinɪŋ
**IPA (UK):** ˌəʊvəˈwiːnɪŋ

## Meanings
1. showing excessive confidence, pride, or presumption

## Examples
- His overweening ambition eventually undid him.

## Synonyms
- arrogant
- presumptuous
- conceited
- haughty
- overconfident
- supercilious
- insolent

## Antonyms
- modest
- humble
- diffident
- unassuming

## Derived Forms
- overweeningly

## Related Forms
- ween

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: ofer
- Root: wēnan

## Etymology
From Middle English overwenen ('to be presumptuous'), from over- ('excessively') plus the archaic verb ween ('to think, suppose'), from Old English wēnan. Literally 'thinking too highly of oneself.'

## AI Etymology
Overweening comes from Middle English overwenen ('to be presumptuous'), from over- ('excessively') plus the archaic verb ween ('to think, suppose'), from Old English wēnan. Literally 'thinking too highly of oneself.'. The etymological trail includes Old English ofer and Old English wēnan. As an adjective, overweening means showing excessive confidence, pride, or presumption. The same family is visible in derived forms such as overweeningly and related forms such as ween.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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overweening

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