1
as in smug
having too high an opinion of oneself
a director who has little patience for overweening actors who think they are above taking advice and criticism
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in excessive
going beyond a normal or acceptable limit in degree or amount
overweening desire for wealth and fame
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in arrogant
having a feeling of superiority that shows itself in an overbearing attitude
an overweening administrator who simply doesn't know how to manage people
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4
as in inflated
extended beyond normal or realistic bounds
an overweening national pride that prompted its citizens to denigrate other countries
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of overweening
If his government does not manage to do so, Modi’s desire to play a greater role in the international system will be confounded by China’s overweening presence, both at the border and within India.
—
Harsh V. Pant, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2024
And while there’s a variety of technology on the market designed to address this group, to which my partner and I belong, a lot of it seems somewhat overweening—and doesn’t really work.
—Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 17 July 2024
That gloss overlooked the reality that people with little wealth or power frequently are forced to contend with overweening bureaucrats who invent their own authority and play by their own rules.
—Jacob Sullum, Orange County Register, 8 July 2024
The Court also brushed back an overweening Environmental Protection Agency rule, in Ohio v. EPA, that ran roughshod over a congressional design to share responsibility for air quality between the EPA and the states.
—The Editors, National Review, 28 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for overweening
Harsh V. Pant, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2024
And while there’s a variety of technology on the market designed to address this group, to which my partner and I belong, a lot of it seems somewhat overweening—and doesn’t really work.
—Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 17 July 2024
That gloss overlooked the reality that people with little wealth or power frequently are forced to contend with overweening bureaucrats who invent their own authority and play by their own rules.
—Jacob Sullum, Orange County Register, 8 July 2024
The Court also brushed back an overweening Environmental Protection Agency rule, in Ohio v. EPA, that ran roughshod over a congressional design to share responsibility for air quality between the EPA and the states.
—The Editors, National Review, 28 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for overweening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overweening
Adjective
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But those smug computers obviously haven’t seen a shirtless Illini coach Brad Underwood and his Super Soaker squirt gun.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2025
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Step 15: Label the Tupperware with its contents and date, feeling ever-so-briefly and beautifully like a smug Instagram tradwife.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Build For Future Scalability And Adaptability With an enterprise-wide architecture, systems can be designed for flexibility, allowing business units to integrate, expand or evolve their solutions without excessive rework.—
Balvinder Singh Banjardar,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
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Hurlburt said excessive rainfall in 2023 resulted in an excessive number of closures along parts of the shoreline.—
Sean Krofssik,
Hartford Courant,
17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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So this kind of parallel can easily be drawn between Iran and other countries, [including those with] an arrogant isolation program, definitely.—
Georg Szalai,
The Hollywood Reporter,
13 Mar. 2025
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One of the targets of his reign of terror is arrogant Judge Stefan Mortensen, played by Oscar-winning actor Geoffrey Rush admitted to the facility after being left partially paralyzed after a stroke.—
Simon Thompson,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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For all the inflated fan rivalry, Liverpool (Busby’s former club) offered United use of their stadium.—
Michael Walker,
The Athletic,
15 Mar. 2025
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This substantial debt burden casts a long shadow over inflated valuations and raises critical questions about the long-term viability of these capital-heavy bets.—
Joseph Edgar,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Jaylon is a proud alumnus of the University of Georgia.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
16 Mar. 2025
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James, the proud dad was caught on camera celebrating the win like his own team had won the championship.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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While the Midwest and the South are bracing for possible severe storms Friday and Saturday, on Thursday there was a critical risk of fire in Texas and other parts of the Great Plains — and the extreme danger will continue into the weekend.—
Phil Helsel,
NBC News,
14 Mar. 2025
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Just one-eightieth of the resulting savings, or $324 billion, could eradicate global extreme poverty.—
David Vetter,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Leather and trenchcoats held their ground and oversized proportions, mainly exaggerated hips and bold shoulders, added an element of drama.—
Rhonda Richford,
WWD,
12 Mar. 2025
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Meanwhile, Mickey is the most exaggerated example of the have nots imaginable; his life has been deemed meaningless by the upper-crust owners of the ship and their staff, who have no misgivings about using him as their sentient crash-test dummy.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Finer says, tensely, that, at end of day, Liv savvy, Liv smart, Liv too egotistical to kill self.—
George Saunders,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2025
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There’s no egotistical rock star bullsh**t going on here.—
Quentin Thane Singer,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Overweening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overweening. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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