English Reference

Word

hubris

US/ˈhjubɹəs/

UK/hˈuːbɹɪs/

Definition

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.

Examples

“The company's hubris led to its eventual failure.”

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

“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.”

Examples

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.”

Real-World Examples

“It’s the same hubris a mining company has about a river, or a fleet has about a fishery, right up until the fish are gone.”
The Guardian · 31 Aug 2026
“Political and economic leaders and observers labeled the move an act of “hubris” , blamed Trump’s “ego”, and called the escalation “insanity”.”
The Guardian · 28 Aug 2026

Etymology

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

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

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English Reference