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Friday January 26, 2007

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overweening \oh-vur-WEE-ning\ , adjective:
1. Overbearing; arrogant; presumptuous.
2. Excessive; immoderate; exaggerated.

In a story as old as the Greeks, overweening pride brought condign disaster.
-- David Frum, How We Got Here

She was warring with her children, having pushed them away with her overweening possessiveness.
-- James Fox, Five Sisters

Overweening personal ambition is no virtue; but while I had it, I could have danced on a bed of nails.
-- Joyce Maynard, At Home in the World

Overweening is from Middle English overwening, present participle of overwenen, "to be arrogant," from over + wenen "to ween," from Old English wenan.

Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for overweening

 

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