Word of the Day

: July 21, 2025

hubris

noun HYOO-bris

What It Means

Hubris is a formal and literary word that refers to a great or foolish amount of pride or confidence.

// The project's failure was predictable, given the inexperience and unbridled hubris of those leading the effort.

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hubris in Context

"The film was billed to me as an attempt to capture the real power and bumbling hubris of a bunch of arrogant and wealthy men ... who try to rewire the world and find themselves in way over their heads." — Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 30 May 2025

Did You Know?

English picked up both the concept of hubris and the term for that particular brand of cockiness from the ancient Greeks, who considered hubris a dangerous character flaw capable of provoking the wrath of the gods. In classical Greek tragedy, hubris was often a fatal shortcoming that brought about the fall of the tragic hero. Typically, overconfidence led the hero to attempt to overstep the boundaries of human limitations and assume a godlike status; in response, the gods inevitably humbled the offender with a sharp reminder of human mortality. Take, for example, the story of Phaethon, a mortal son of the sun god Helios. In his hubris, Phaethon drives his father's sun chariot into the heavens but loses control of its horses. The chariot begins to scorch the earth, and Zeus strikes Phaethon down with a thunderbolt.