as in vanity
formal + literary
an excessive or foolish amount of belief in oneself or one's own abilities
His failure was brought on by his hubris.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 hubris
And good people like Lynn Jones, who do their jobs and serve their communities year after year, sometimes get caught up in our hubris.
—
David Aldridge, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Irrational hubris has been the downfall of many empires.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 5 Jan. 2026
And some skeptics are increasingly convinced that the entire edifice is a monument to hubris that will come tumbling down before long.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 18 Dec. 2025
Overall, the documentation gives little evidence of the hubris so often attributed to these men, first by David Halberstam in his classic work, The Best and the Brightest.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hubris
David Aldridge, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Irrational hubris has been the downfall of many empires.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 5 Jan. 2026
And some skeptics are increasingly convinced that the entire edifice is a monument to hubris that will come tumbling down before long.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 18 Dec. 2025
Overall, the documentation gives little evidence of the hubris so often attributed to these men, first by David Halberstam in his classic work, The Best and the Brightest.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hubris
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hubris
Noun
-
If there’s not enough space in your vanity to keep the counter clear, a storage cabinet is a great way to keep daily items accessible.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2026
-
So, roughly $300 billion – a 7% gap – separates these three countries from California on this vanity scoreboard.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Raised on a strict diet of toughness and discipline by his father, Dean arrives with undeniable talent – and an arrogance that quickly earns him enemies.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Things moved about at the top with a little more arrogance and zip but at the bottom was the ever-moving present.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But all options should be considered, using our adult egos.—
Harvey Levine,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Participants are urged to restrain harmful speech, dishonesty, anger and ego.—
Irfan Sarwar,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
On the men’s side, Zuccarello takes pride in his country’s 19-year streak of appearing at the World Championships, and two Norwegians — Brandsegg-Nygård (Detroit) and Stian Solberg (Anaheim) — were drafted in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Now, Bogaerts, who still keeps tabs on his old team, watches clips of Rafaela being a human highlight reel at his old stomping grounds with pride.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hubris.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hubris. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
