overconfident
adjective
over·con·fi·dent
ˌō-vər-ˈkän-fə-dənt 
-ˌdent
: excessively or unjustifiably confident : having too much confidence (as in one's abilities or judgment)
an overconfident driver
wasn't overconfident about their chances of winning
… he often starts cold, missing a few shots, allowing his opponent to get on a roll, to get overconfident.—
Brett Forrest
Brett Forrest
overconfidently
adverb
overconfidently predicted the team would win
Synonyms
Examples of overconfident in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Wednesday’s announcement came on the heels of a massive profile of Licht in The Atlantic, which portrayed him as overconfident but incapable of leading the network.
—Tori Otten, The New Republic, 7 June 2023
Every team around the league is aware of how those games can become a trap for an overconfident group that tries to downplay the competition.
—Shane Young, Forbes, 21 Apr. 2023
In periods of growth, the errors made by overconfident CEOs are often buffered by the upswing of the economic cycle.
—Grace Lordan, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2023
Clearly, in Suetonius’ view, Nero’s overconfident estimation of his own artistic talents lasted until the very end.
—Mary Beard, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023
He has been described by past passengers as both a meticulous planner and an overconfident pioneer.
—Ben Finley and Holly Ramer, Anchorage Daily News, 24 June 2023
This year, officials are warning everyone to take heed, especially those who have safely dipped in a river during normal years and may feel overconfident.
—Jill Cowan, BostonGlobe.com, 18 June 2023
However, younger people can sometimes be overconfident and ignore those risks.
—Kunyi Yang, CNN, 20 June 2022
The man’s an oblivious, ignorant, overconfident blowhard.
—Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 2 Mar. 2022
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Tori Otten, The New Republic, 7 June 2023
Every team around the league is aware of how those games can become a trap for an overconfident group that tries to downplay the competition.
—Shane Young, Forbes, 21 Apr. 2023
In periods of growth, the errors made by overconfident CEOs are often buffered by the upswing of the economic cycle.
—Grace Lordan, Fortune, 15 Feb. 2023
Clearly, in Suetonius’ view, Nero’s overconfident estimation of his own artistic talents lasted until the very end.
—Mary Beard, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023
He has been described by past passengers as both a meticulous planner and an overconfident pioneer.
—Ben Finley and Holly Ramer, Anchorage Daily News, 24 June 2023
This year, officials are warning everyone to take heed, especially those who have safely dipped in a river during normal years and may feel overconfident.
—Jill Cowan, BostonGlobe.com, 18 June 2023
However, younger people can sometimes be overconfident and ignore those risks.
—Kunyi Yang, CNN, 20 June 2022
The man’s an oblivious, ignorant, overconfident blowhard.
—Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 2 Mar. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'overconfident.' 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
circa 1617, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near overconfident
Cite this Entry
“Overconfident.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overconfident. Accessed 26 Sep. 2023.
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