presumptuousness

noun

Definition of presumptuousnessnext
1
as in arrogance
an exaggerated sense of one's importance that shows itself in the making of excessive or unjustified claims only a person of unparalleled presumptuousness would assert that she knows all there is to know about words

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2
as in gall
shameless boldness he found that a certain amount of presumptuousness could get you in trouble, but it could also get you into places where you normally weren't allowed

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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 presumptuousness Aggie is appalled at Nile’s presumptuousness, his entitlement. — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025 Optimistic Miami Dolphins fans — assuming there are any left right now; forgive the presumptuousness — could find a way to be (relatively) encouraged coming out of Thursday night’s game. — Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for presumptuousness
  1. arrogance
  2. gall
  3. superiority
  4. nerve
  5. presumption
  6. audacity
Noun
  • Ilya is looking for work as an assistant, and the professor, with his dandyish nerd arrogance, tells him to look at a paper he’s written and come back in a few days.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
  • This standalone novel looks at the cult of celebrity, the bond among parents and children, entitlement and arrogance, all wrapped into a tightly wound plot that’s an evocative historical steeped in the Great Depression.
    — Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of arrogance
Noun
  • Kari was confined to a wheelchair and had to have her gall bladder removed.
    — Marlow Stern, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Avicii was hospitalized for health issues throughout his lifetime, and increased alcohol consumption to curb his anxiety led to acute pancreatitis and a gall bladder surgery.
    — Jaeden Pinder, Rolling Stone, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of gall
Noun
  • Meanwhile, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), which sees space superiority as essential to winning future wars, is developing a range of space capabilities as well as a suite of weapons that can attack satellites.
    — Kathleen Curlee, Foreign Affairs, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Credibility is affected deeply by strategic cultural assessments about superiority and inferiority, and notions about when, where, how and for whom the credibility matters.
    — Christopher Nichols, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of superiority
Noun
  • But finding one’s nerve means fighting the everyday vagaries of low self-esteem, depression, self-deception, insecurity, loss, never-ending grief, and narcissists.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Because of the way the substance interacts with the body’s nerves, Schwarz said those who chronically use it face nerve injury and numbness.
    — Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of nerve
Noun
  • The facts of the employment relationship can determine whether the ordinary presumption still controls.
    — William Jones, Sacbee.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • How the system would work The initial phase of contract talks still would have union and county representatives seeking to hammer out a mutually beneficial deal, with a presumption that both sides would negotiate in good faith.
    — Jon Regardie, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of presumption
Noun
  • The artist needs to have the audacity to trust that the audience will get the joke.
    — Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
  • Within such a movement, no band is embracing it with the tenacity — or the audacity — of Dexter and the Moonrocks.
    — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of audacity

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presumptuously
presumptuousness
presuppose
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Cite this Entry

“Presumptuousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/presumptuousness. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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