bumptious 1 of 2

as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude a bumptious young man whose family wealth gave him a sense of entitlement

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

bumptiousness

2 of 2

noun

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bumptious
Adjective
Despite lines that are initially chatty and chirpy, Corden shows how bumptious his character really is. David Benedict, Variety, 26 June 2024 Although not always directly correlated with being bumptious and arrogant, performing at a higher standard than others, and having something to show for it, will always garner attention. Clare French, Hartford Courant, 16 Mar. 2024 Which is not to imply that the six-year-old, with quite a bumptious career behind him, is of Secretariat's muster. Guy Martin, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024 The story is a familiar one — a young immigrant fetches up in New York to seek his fortune, only to be buffeted by a bumptious city and cut to the quick by its competitive edge — but Torres reshapes it into something simultaneously more fantastical and far more real. Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 See All Example Sentences for bumptious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bumptious
Adjective
  • The targets of Trump’s economic aggression will accept greater hardship to preserve their dignity than American voters will for the privilege of acting like arrogant menaces.
    David Frum, The Atlantic, 29 Apr. 2025
  • This feud carries on today, with Hogan having called out Hart for being too arrogant.
    David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The arrogance of economics and its myriad equations, charts and numbers is astounding.
    John Tamny, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Others were negative traits to avoid, like irritability, arrogance, and combativeness.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 1 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Murrow worked on Adlai Stevenson’s presidential campaign while at CBS, excusing his partiality as moral and intellectual superiority.
    Armond White, National Review, 30 Apr. 2025
  • The three fundamental pillars of relative superiority are: • It is achieved at the pivotal moment of an engagement.
    Chris Harris, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bumptious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bumptious. Accessed 9 May. 2025.

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