overconfidence

noun

over·​con·​fi·​dence ˌō-vər-ˈkän-fə-dən(t)s 

-ˌden(t)s

: an excess of confidence (as in one's abilities or judgment) : confidence that is not justified

warned against overconfidence when investing

People tend to overestimate their skills behind the wheel and underestimate the skills of the boobs and psychopaths driving around them, a phenomenon that psychologists call "optimism bias" and the rest of us simply call delusional overconfidence.

—David H. Freedman

Examples of overconfidence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The moment of overconfidence brought his two competitors back into play until Faizan — last year’s runner-up — spelled back-to-back words correctly. —Bay Area News Group, Mercury News, 30 May 2025

The paternalistic overconfidence of Armstrong’s tech bros delivers the bulk of both the dark humor and the sobering cultural relevance in Mountainhead. —Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 30 May 2025

Past success can create a dangerous form of overconfidence. —Roy Ward, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025

Cognitive biases—such as overconfidence or the tendency to overlook low-probability events—can cloud judgment and lead to poor risk management. —Trent Hoerr, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1622, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overconfidence

• confidence