hubris
hubris Lexical Profile
hubris Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Excessive pride, arrogance, or self-confidence, especially when it leads to a person's eventual downfall or failure.
"The executive's hubris prevented him from listening to the warnings of his financial advisors."
In ancient Greek tragedy, excessive pride or defiance toward the gods that inevitably leads to nemesis and the protagonist's ruin.
"In the play, the king's tragic flaw is his hubris in believing he can outwit the oracle's prophecy."
Word Nuance & Usage
Unlike general 'arrogance' or 'conceit', 'hubris' specifically implies an extreme, self-destructive overconfidence that blinds a person to reality and inevitably leads to their downfall.
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 19th century directly from Ancient Greek 'hybris' (ὕβρις), meaning 'insolence', 'outrage', or 'wanton violence' arising from excessive pride, especially defiance against the gods in classical Greek tragedy.