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

Today, experts say, the phrase is in danger of becoming synonymous with the potentially enormous costs of overconfidence, complacency, and an unwillingness to change. — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Nov. 2026

When business is booming, confidence can turn into overconfidence and investment into overinvestment. — Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2026

Trump may never have been President at all if not for the Party’s fatal overconfidence about him, in 2016. — Susan B. Glasser, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026

Their wild overconfidence won’t cause downstream problems for your team, because you’ll already be prepared. — Dorie Clark, Contributor, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1622, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overconfidence

• confidence