overconfidence

noun

over·​con·​fi·​dence ˌō-vər-ˈkän-fə-dən(t)s 

-ˌden(t)s

: an excess of confidence (as in one's abilities or judgment) : confidence that is not justified

warned against overconfidence when investing

People tend to overestimate their skills behind the wheel and underestimate the skills of the boobs and psychopaths driving around them, a phenomenon that psychologists call "optimism bias" and the rest of us simply call delusional overconfidence.

—David H. Freedman

Examples of overconfidence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Hollywood has always had an affinity for schemers and maybe that’s because show business is run by similar types: High on their own supply of overconfidence and fast-talking obfuscation. —Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 13 Nov. 2024

That’s when overconfidence can lead to decisions that cause overreach. —Agur Jõgi, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024

Drafting players involves a cesspool of uncertainty, overconfidence and unpredictability. —Alec Lewis, The Athletic, 29 Aug. 2024

But overconfidence can drive businesses toward failure, found a 2020 study published in the New England Journal of Entrepreneurship. —Ashton Jackson, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1622, in the meaning defined above