Hubris
/ˈhjuːbrɪs/
nounC2
Definition
Hubris is when someone feels very proud or confident in a way that is too much or not realistic. This pride can make a person act in a way that causes problems or failure. The word often appears in stories and history to show when a person’s pride causes their downfall.
Was this helpful?
See It in Action
Excessive pride or self-confidence that causes problems
- •The CEO’s hubris made him ignore advice and led to the company’s failure.
- •His hubris was clear when he refused to listen to anyone’s opinion.
- •In many tragedies, the hero’s hubris causes their downfall.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "hubris" like "pride" (A1 word), but much stronger and often dangerous because it makes someone ignore warnings or rules
- ✓Picture a person who thinks they are better than everyone else and does risky things without thinking
- ✓It’s the feeling when someone is so sure they cannot fail that they make big mistakes
- ✓Sounds like "HUE-bris" → imagine a bright color (hue) that is too strong and hurts your eyes, like pride that is too strong and causes trouble
- ✓In Greek stories, heroes with hubris often upset the gods and lose everything because of their arrogance
- ✓NOT like simple "pride" (which can be good or small), hubris is pride taken too far and leads to problems
- ✓NOT like "confidence" (which can be helpful), hubris is confidence that is too much and blind to danger
Try Other Words
- •Arrogance: too much pride, thinking you are better than others (Use when you want to emphasize rudeness or disrespect)
- •Conceit: very high opinion of oneself (Use in formal or literary contexts)
- •Overconfidence: too much confidence that causes mistakes (Use when focusing on risk-taking behavior)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: (no clear prefix or suffix, borrowed as a whole)
- •Etymology: From Greek ὕβρις (hýbris), meaning excessive pride or violence against the gods
- •Historical development: Used in ancient Greek literature to describe a dangerous pride that angers gods and leads to punishment
- •Modern usage: Used in English to describe when someone’s pride or confidence is too much and causes failure or problems
Reflect & Connect
•Can you think of a time when someone's hubris caused a problem, either in a story or real life?
•How can understanding hubris help people avoid making big mistakes because of pride?
Fill in the blanks
1.The leader’s hubris made him ___ advice from his team, which led to poor decisions.
2.In stories, hubris often causes the hero to ___ everything they have.
3.Unlike simple pride, hubris is dangerous because it makes people ___ warnings or rules.
4.When someone acts with hubris, they usually show ___ confidence that ignores risks.
5.Hubris can be seen when a person refuses to ___ their mistakes.
6.The businessman’s hubris was clear when he believed he was ___ than all his competitors.
7.People who have hubris often ___ problems for themselves and others without realizing it.