arrogance means the state of being arrogant; a type of extreme or foolish pride in which someone feels much superior to another. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 71 out of 100.
arrogance is pronounced /ˈæɹ.ə.ɡəns/.
Why “arrogance” is a great word
An attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or a sense of exaggerated self-importance. From Middle English arrogaunce, from Middle French arrogance, from Latin arrogantia, from arrogans ('assuming, overbearing'), present participle of arrogare ('to claim for oneself, assume'). Unlike humility, which is a modest view of one's own importance, or conceit, which is an excessive but often private pride, arrogance is an aggressive territorial claim upon status, respect, and attention. It is the dismissive flick of a wrist, the interjection that begins with 'Actually,' and the suffocating stillness where one person is the only permissible subject. To encounter it is to feel the atmosphere thin, as all the oxygen of a conversation is drawn into a single, sealed vessel.
Etymology
From Middle English arrogaunce, from Middle French arrogance, from Latin arrogantia.
noun
- The state of being arrogant; a type of extreme or foolish pride in which someone feels much superior to another.