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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Instead, the grande dame of hospitality was replaced by an overweening, obscenely tall, utterly out of place, speculative supertall skyscraper: the Empire State Building.
—
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 10 July 2025
But an overweening chorus of voices—from legislators, media, and civilian organizations—declared that, unlike white citizens of German and Italian descent, danger lurked in Japanese American bodies.
—Literary Hub, 12 May 2025
The doctrine itself has had all manner of ill effects on the capacity of employers to apply race-neutral or gender-neutral standards of qualification and fitness, and replaced the concept of an equal opportunity employer with the overweening human resources departments that gave us DEI.
—The Editors, National Review, 25 Apr. 2025
Iraqi nationalism is the ultimate hedge against Iran’s overweening ambitions; no Iraqi wishes for his or her country to become a pawn of Iran.
—Linda S. Robinson, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2019
See All Example Sentences for overweening
Justin Davidson, Curbed, 10 July 2025
But an overweening chorus of voices—from legislators, media, and civilian organizations—declared that, unlike white citizens of German and Italian descent, danger lurked in Japanese American bodies.
—Literary Hub, 12 May 2025
The doctrine itself has had all manner of ill effects on the capacity of employers to apply race-neutral or gender-neutral standards of qualification and fitness, and replaced the concept of an equal opportunity employer with the overweening human resources departments that gave us DEI.
—The Editors, National Review, 25 Apr. 2025
Iraqi nationalism is the ultimate hedge against Iran’s overweening ambitions; no Iraqi wishes for his or her country to become a pawn of Iran.
—Linda S. Robinson, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2019
See All Example Sentences for overweening
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overweening
Adjective
-
The test case—picturing a cow doing ballet—produces a smug bovine pirouetting.—
Elise Broach,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
My math teachers of old are very smug somewhere.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The authors argued that the typical American diet contained excessive calories and fat and lacked sufficient amounts of complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Apr. 2026
-
This development enables high-performance batteries to function without the bulky pressurization hardware that often adds excessive weight and volume to electric vehicle battery packs.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The series has devolved into a hysteria that the young and arrogant Timberwolves feed on since that first quarter of Game 2.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
-
However, many thought Tilson Thomas too brash and arrogant to lead an orchestra, and, around the same time, Tilson Thomas fell in with New York’s disco-hopping crowd.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
On average, its white blooms appear late April to early May, and develop into interesting inflated three-sided seed pods by autumn.—
Miri Talabac,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Baldoni’s attorneys pushed back, calling the projections speculative and wildly inflated.—
Cheyenne Roundtree,
Rolling Stone,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The proud Westeros family of dragonlords have always been intent on making things bend to their (fair-haired, dragon-loving) will, even when the chips were down.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
27 Apr. 2026
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Gordon Ramsay is one proud dad as daughter Tilly Ramsay completes the TCS London Marathon on April 26 in London.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Typical pulsating aurora displays last 10 to 20 minutes, but Kerss had captured almost three hours of extreme pulsating auroras — an unusually powerful display and one of the longest on record, according to the statement.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
28 Apr. 2026
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Threats are growing from more extreme weather.—
Michael Copley,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Nolah Evolution Comfort+ is your solution, as its superior foam, edge support and pressure relief are designed for heavier sleepers.—
Alora Bopray,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
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John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan know that having two solid contributors on cheap deals is vastly superior to having one overpriced guy who is statistically no better than the field.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Tontey’s Karamoy becomes literally larger than life, with three breasts and exaggerated muscles, a physical manifestation of her will toward self-determination.—
Harrison Jacobs,
ARTnews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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The exaggerated use of black in this trendy backyard by Allweather Landscape gives the space a super modern and moody look.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overweening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overweening. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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