Overween

Pronunciation varies by accent · verb

Meaning

(ergative) To think too highly or arrogantly of (oneself)..

Definitions by Sense

1. (ergative) To think too highly or arrogantly of (oneself).
2. To make or render arrogant and overweening.
3. (proscribed) To overwhelm.

Example Sentences

and they that overween, / And at thy growing virtues fret their spleen,

The clouds on Futurity Day bore out in a general way this prognostication. But he overweened himself.

There is, I suppose, the cheap drama of man sticking his nose into an area where it does little good except to expand his already overweened vanity.

Sometimes we manage to come up with original ways of viewing a world hardened, stratified, overweened by its own power, a world which believes itself as omnipotent as its technological achievements might seem to imply.

The invasion of a vast enemy host upon the unprepared is unstoppable; the huge phalanx of tanks overweens our small army of trucks and rifles; […]

Synonyms for overween

Antonyms for overween

Related Words

Word Forms

• overweens
• overweening
• overweened

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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