presumptuousness

noun

Definition of presumptuousnessnext
1
as in arrogance
an exaggerated sense of one's importance that shows itself in the making of excessive or unjustified claims only a person of unparalleled presumptuousness would assert that she knows all there is to know about words

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2
as in gall
shameless boldness he found that a certain amount of presumptuousness could get you in trouble, but it could also get you into places where you normally weren't allowed

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of presumptuousness Aggie is appalled at Nile’s presumptuousness, his entitlement. — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025 Optimistic Miami Dolphins fans — assuming there are any left right now; forgive the presumptuousness — could find a way to be (relatively) encouraged coming out of Thursday night’s game. — Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for presumptuousness
  1. arrogance
  2. gall
  3. superiority
  4. nerve
  5. presumption
  6. audacity
Noun
  • McVay and Snead have effectively built a culture of arrogance.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
  • These fascinating, illuminating episodes raise the question of whether great fiction requires the kind of single-mindedness and even arrogance that McCarthy cultivated.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of arrogance
Noun
  • The official copy covered four big sheets of parchment in ink made from oak galls.
    — James Whorton Jr, Longreads, 13 Oct. 2026
  • What galls, perhaps, is less the accident itself than the absence of a person stepping out from behind the wheel, having a human experience of horror and regret.
    — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of gall
Noun
  • Advertisement Thirdly, place names should not be used to proclaim cultural superiority, advance territorial ambitions, or assert exclusive national ownership over geographical spaces shared among different peoples.
    — Reuben Rose-Redwood, Time, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Forest had the bulk of the chances in a gritty second period but could not make its superiority count.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of superiority
Noun
  • Back in 2023, Stevens revealed he was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome—a rare auto-immune disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves—and was working to relearn how to walk and use his hands.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Johns Hopkins University researchers created a similar prosthetic device that instead maps pressure variables and sends them back to the observer using an electromyography (EMG) link hooked directly into deep muscle and nerve pathways.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of nerve
Noun
  • Pollet, the state representative who sponsored the 2018 presumption bill, acknowledged that the law has fallen short of his expectation.
    — Lizz Giordano, ProPublica, 22 Oct. 2026
  • To many, not least the young, both literary culture and the world of bookselling are beginning a great new climb, calling into question many presumptions about the digital century and the market models that sustain it.
    — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of presumption
Noun
  • The audacity to try is a matter of courage—and Cohen, the primary vocalist, has a ton.
    — Samuel Hyland, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Those Aces were trumped in the semifinals by the dominant Valkyries, who’ve had the audacity to reach the Finals in only their second season.
    — Don Riddell, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of audacity

Browse Nearby Words

presumptuously
presumptuousness
presuppose
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Cite this Entry

“Presumptuousness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/presumptuousness. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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