overconfident

adjective

over·​con·​fi·​dent ˌō-vər-ˈkän-fə-dənt 

-ˌdent

: excessively or unjustifiably confident : having too much confidence (as in one's abilities or judgment)

an overconfident driver

wasn't overconfident about their chances of winning

… he often starts cold, missing a few shots, allowing his opponent to get on a roll, to get overconfident.

—Brett Forrest

overconfidently adverb

overconfidently predicted the team would win

Synonyms

• audacious
• brash
• daredevil
• foolhardy
• madcap
• overbold
• reckless
• temerarious

Examples of overconfident in a Sentence

the overconfident quarterback made some careless decisions that cost him the game

Recent Examples on the Web

The caricature of Doug Gottlieb is the cheekily overconfident, know-it-all opinionator with no detectable filter. —Brian Hamilton, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025

Social media worsens this as the simply act of sharing online can make users overconfident in their own knowledge. —Callum Booth, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025

There may be no subset of leaders more prone to misperceptions of their foreign adversaries than the overconfident leadership of a dominant successful administration out of power for four years. —Richard E. Vatz, Baltimore Sun, 26 Jan. 2025

We Below Deck fans are truly blessed with no shortage of overconfident stews to stir up drama. —Emma Soren, Vulture, 26 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1617, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overconfident

• confident