Hubris: Definition & Meaning for the SAT
⚡️ HUBRIS most nearly means: (A) humility; (B) intelligence; (C) excessive pride; (D) ambition. 👉 Answer + examples, pronunciation, and full SAT explanation inside.
TL;DR: Hubris means excessive pride or self-confidence that often leads to downfall. To remember, think of a friend named HUGH who displays HUBRIS and thinks he's all that.
ℹ️ Part of Speech of Hubris
hubris is a NOUN.
🗣️ Pronunciation of Hubris
hubris is pronounced /ˈhjuː.brɪs/ or HYOO-bris.
📚️ Definition of Hubris
Excessive pride or self-confidence that often leads to a person's downfall; dangerous overconfidence or arrogance that blinds someone to their own limitations and the consequences of their actions. Example: The hubris of someone who has had too much success.
Learn more about the origins of the word hubris.
📰 Examples of Hubris
Here are some examples of the word hubris:
Too much success at a young age can lead to crippling hubris--the stereotype of the high school football star who coasted on that early local fame is but one example.
In Greek mythology, Icarus's hubris led him to fly too close to the sun despite his father's warnings, causing the wax wings to melt, sending him plummeting into the ocean water.
The startup founder's hubris was evident when she turned down a $700,000 buyout offer from the FAANG company, convinced her company would be worth much more than that amount within a year.
✅ Quiz answer
Answer to the question above:
C, excessive pride. Explanations: A is the opposite—humility means modesty or being humble, not prideful. B doesn't work; intelligence has nothing to do with pride or arrogance. D is incorrect; while ambition means having strong desires to achieve something, it doesn't necessarily involve the dangerous overconfidence that defines hubris.