too big for one's britches

The phrase "too big for one's britches" is a 19th-century idiom from the United States, describing someone who is overly confident or arrogant.

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Definition

C1General

(informal, idiomatic)Having an exaggerated sense of one's own importance or abilities.

Example

  • Ever since his promotion, he's been acting too big for his britches.

C1General

(informal, idiomatic)Being overly confident or arrogant, often in an annoying way.

Example

  • She's getting too big for her britches, always bragging about her achievements.

Similar

Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "too big for one's britches":

above oneselfhave eyes bigger than one's stomachhigh and mightyout of one's depthoverplay one's handlarger than lifebeyond one's pay gradebig talkget ahead of oneselfout of one's leaguebig-boy pants