1
as in smug
having too high an opinion of oneself
a director who has little patience for overweening actors who think they are above taking advice and criticism
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in excessive
going beyond a normal or acceptable limit in degree or amount
overweening desire for wealth and fame
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude
an overweening administrator who simply doesn't know how to manage people
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in inflated
extended beyond normal or realistic bounds
an overweening national pride that prompted its citizens to denigrate other countries
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overweening
Instead, the grande dame of hospitality was replaced by an overweening, obscenely tall, utterly out of place, speculative supertall skyscraper: the Empire State Building.
—
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 10 July 2025
But an overweening chorus of voices—from legislators, media, and civilian organizations—declared that, unlike white citizens of German and Italian descent, danger lurked in Japanese American bodies.
—Literary Hub, 12 May 2025
The doctrine itself has had all manner of ill effects on the capacity of employers to apply race-neutral or gender-neutral standards of qualification and fitness, and replaced the concept of an equal opportunity employer with the overweening human resources departments that gave us DEI.
—The Editors, National Review, 25 Apr. 2025
Iraqi nationalism is the ultimate hedge against Iran’s overweening ambitions; no Iraqi wishes for his or her country to become a pawn of Iran.
—Linda S. Robinson, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2019
See All Example Sentences for overweening
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 10 July 2025
But an overweening chorus of voices—from legislators, media, and civilian organizations—declared that, unlike white citizens of German and Italian descent, danger lurked in Japanese American bodies.
—Literary Hub, 12 May 2025
The doctrine itself has had all manner of ill effects on the capacity of employers to apply race-neutral or gender-neutral standards of qualification and fitness, and replaced the concept of an equal opportunity employer with the overweening human resources departments that gave us DEI.
—The Editors, National Review, 25 Apr. 2025
Iraqi nationalism is the ultimate hedge against Iran’s overweening ambitions; no Iraqi wishes for his or her country to become a pawn of Iran.
—Linda S. Robinson, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2019
See All Example Sentences for overweening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overweening
Adjective
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Bateman’s Clark is comfortably semi-famous, semi-smug and also, maybe, a decent guy.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
24 Mar. 2026
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Over Your Dead Body is not for the faint of heart, but give or take a rape threat that crosses the line into smug sadism without quite seeming to realize it, the violence lands as more comically cartoonish than horrific.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Illinois Senate President Don Harmon should pass legislation granting the Illinois Department of Insurance the power to reject excessive rate hikes by insurance companies regarding homeowners’ insurance rates.—
Willie Wilson,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
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The National Park Service warns that excessive saltwater intrusion can weaken the trees over time, and in some cases, eventually kill them.—
Dan Peck,
ABC News,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The rabbi is ornery, arrogant, sometimes cruel.—
Daniel Felsenthal,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
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Those leaders who ignore or flout the law aren’t merely unethical but fatally arrogant, putting their childish willfulness over the wisdom of generations.—
David Brooks,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Investigators laid out a pattern of inaccurate and incomplete campaign finance reports across several election cycles, including improper contributions falsely reported as personal loans, acceptance of improper contributions and inflated cash-on-hand numbers.—
Caitlin Yilek,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
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Some of the exclusive merchandise has already appeared on eBay at inflated prices.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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One of his proudest accomplishments was creating the FWISD Scholar Athlete Award program.—
Kamal Morgan,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Mar. 2026
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On the question of T-pop’s rising global profile, Satur is proud but measured.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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From extreme heat and wildfire smoke to asthma and utility costs, climate change is already impacting our everyday lives.—
CBS LA Staff,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
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This model is also the brand’s most durable yet, boasting an extreme IP69 rating for water and dust resistance, paired with a versatile triple 50MP camera system that captures professional-grade detail across wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto shots.—
Juhi Wadia,
PC Magazine,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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According to inside sources, Prince William wishes to establish a meaningful relationship with Mullally, knowing that the Archbishop will also preside over his future coronation and will, in fact, be his superior in the Church.—
Stefania Conrieri,
Vanity Fair,
27 Mar. 2026
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Bolstered by a vastly superior air force and hard-to-overwhelm missile defenses, Israel is more than a match for its enemies, even Iran, and will remain so for a decade or more.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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That term encompasses exaggerated, subjective assertions of optimism that are not intended to be taken as factual, are too general to cause a reasonable investor to rely upon them and are not actionable in securities law.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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But reports of the death of old-fashioned books were greatly exaggerated.—
Matt Leclercq,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overweening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overweening. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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