WordValehubris
excessive pride that leads to a character's downfall
In more detail
1. (noun) excessive pride or arrogance, especially when it leads to a downfall
2. (noun) in ancient Greek tragedy, excessive pride that offends the gods and brings punishment
Examples
- 1. His hubris led him to believe he was invincible, which ultimately caused his failure.
- 2. The tragic hero's hubris in the play brings about his tragic end.
How to use hubris
Hubris refers to excessive pride or arrogance that typically has destructive consequences, often used in formal or literary contexts to describe a fatal character flaw. It carries a moral or cautionary tone and is frequently applied to public figures, leaders, or tragic protagonists. Unlike simple pride, hubris implies blindness to one's limitations and usually suggests imminent downfall.
Common phrases
- dangerous hubris
- hubris leads to
- overcome by hubris
- political hubris
- display of hubris
Synonyms
arrogance · pride · overconfidence · presumption · conceit
Opposites
humility · modesty
Word family
hubristic (adjective) · hubristically (adverb)
A common mistake
Learners sometimes use hubris to mean merely great confidence or pride without the implication of harmful consequences or impending failure that the word conveys.
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