overconfidence

noun

over·​con·​fi·​dence ˌō-vər-ˈkän-fə-dən(t)s How to pronounce overconfidence (audio)
-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 As the moon and Jupiter clash, overconfidence can be your downfall! USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 The dot-com bubble of the late 1990s and early 2000s is a quintessential example of the dangers overconfidence poses. Dan Irvine, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 As much as Keith could exude arrogance, his pre-9/11 songwriting could also be self-effacing, casting him as an unreliable narrator who falls prey to his own pride and overconfidence. Nadine Smith, Rolling Stone, 6 Feb. 2024 With that victory, however, came overconfidence and self-indulgence, and in recent years the NRA has been mired in distracting controversy. David Harsanyi, National Review, 25 Jan. 2024 But the Niners celebrated far too early, the overconfidence overheard by the Lions in the halftime locker room, which wasn't separated by much more than some drywall in those days. Detroit Free Press, 21 Jan. 2024 In other words, overconfidence may result in underachievement. Tom Siegfried, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Feb. 2024 Still, the swings were yet another reminder of the hazards of overconfidence when plotting the outlook for rate-sensitive strategies, especially after a year in which Wall Street efforts to predict market moves ended in misery. Lu Wang, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2024 There is an amazing list of films on the shortlist so there’s no such thing as overconfidence. Addie Morfoot, Variety, 5 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overconfidence.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1622, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of overconfidence was in 1622

Dictionary Entries Near overconfidence

Cite this Entry

“Overconfidence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overconfidence. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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