ENGLISH
REFERENCE

hubris

n.
C1 Advanced US //ˈhjubɹəs// UK //hˈuːbɹɪs// hubris

n. extreme pride or confidence in your own abilities, often to the point of being foolish. It is the feeling that you are so great that nothing can stop you.

n. excessive pride or self-confidence, often leading to the downfall of a person or organization. Frequently used in literary or historical contexts to describe a fatal flaw.


SIMPLE

The company's hubris led to its eventual failure.

CONTEXTUAL

The CEO's hubris caused him to ignore all the warnings about the unstable market.

COMPLEX

In Greek tragedy, hubris is the fatal flaw that allows the protagonist to believe they are immune to the natural order, ultimately leading to their inevitable and often dramatic demise.

Origin

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek ὕβρις (húbris, “insolence, sexual outrage”).

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