Word of the DayMonday, March 26, 2001
overweening
\oh-vur-WEE-ning\ , adjective:1.
Overbearing; arrogant; presumptuous.
2.
Excessive; immoderate; exaggerated.
Quotes:
In a story as old as the Greeks, overweening pride brought condign disaster.
-- David Frum, How We Got Here
She was warring with her children, having pushed them away with her overweening possessiveness.
-- James Fox, Five Sisters
Overweening personal ambition is no virtue; but while I had it, I could have danced on a bed of nails.
-- Joyce Maynard, At Home in the World
Origin:
Overweening is from Middle English overwening, present participle of overwenen, "to be arrogant," from over + wenen "to ween," from Old English wenan.
